On Friday April 18, 2008 the station was staffed without supplemental career support for 12 hours, due to budget short falls. Members were out in force to handle the station's responses, it was like a blast from the past, but "THE OAKS" pulled it off. After having a wonderful dinner (thanks Ma “E”), the crew of 11 settled in for a night of reminiscing, station pranks, good movies and fun more than enough fun. Unfortunately, the EMS Crew of A838 would not see the movies in their entirety, as they ran several calls during the course of the night but overall, it was a quite night for the station. The crew of E838 slept well, as they only ran two calls during the night. The members was called to stand tall after Chief Sedgwick announced that Chapel Oaks was listed as having a strong volunteer membership and that station will be without the additional resources of the career staff from now to the beginning of the fiscal year on , during the weekend on a rotational basis. Andrea Noble of the gazette covered the story : “County Executive Jack B. Johnson is proposing a $7.3 million increase in the Prince George’s County fire and emergency management services’ budget for fiscal 2009 to pay for 16 new hires and cost-of-living adjustments for all employees. The additional funding will bring the Fire⁄EMS budget to $116.8 million. Major Richard Lambdin, of the fire department’s development office, said the department had requested funding for 52 new hires to improve service and replace retiring staff. The county currently employs 762 firefighters and department officials estimate three to four firefighters will retire each month. The full-time firefighters work alongside 1,342 volunteer firefighters. To balance the proposed $2.7 billion budget, Johnson has proposed a countywide government-hiring freeze except for public safety departments. To prevent budget overruns in fiscal 2008, which end’s June 30, the fire department increased volunteer staffing hours April 4 at nine fire stations. The required weekend shift was implemented at stations with strong volunteer bases that could support it, county Fire Chief Lawrence H. Sedgwick Jr. said April 10 at a budget hearing. The mandate could fan out to other stations through the end of June. Fire officials said the plan could save the department at least $70,000. The replacement of the District Heights station and opening of the new Bowie station are both expected in fiscal 2009. Johnson budgeted $14 million for the county’s volunteer fire departments. Prince George’s County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association recruiter Jennifer Chafin said the association will launch a radio-advertising campaign to attract more recruits. She said 262 people have applied to join the department since September. ‘‘Everyone helps. We don’t have a maximum number we are striving for,” said Chafin of the association’s recruiting goals. The volunteer department saw a proposed budget increase of $342,000 over fiscal 2008. The budget pays for vehicle maintenance and stipends to volunteers with more than 25 years of service. Frank Underwood, vice president of the Maryland State Fireman’s Association, which represents volunteer firefighters statewide, said part of the reason the county supports volunteer recruitment efforts are because volunteer firefighters are not paid a salary, which results in the force saving the county more than $30 million annually. Volunteer association representatives and county staff talked about the need for incentives for volunteer firefighters during the April 10 budget hearing. Incentives mentioned ranged from the provision of health insurance to volunteers to paying a stipend after a few years of service. Currently, volunteers begin collecting a retirement benefit of $225 a month after they have served 25 years and are at least 55 years old. ‘‘I’m willing to help in any way to help the volunteer effort,” Sedgwick said. The fire department expects a significant increase in revenues in fiscal 2009 from the EMS transport-billing plan to be implemented this summer, Sedgwick said. The department will charge residents’ insurance providers for all ambulance transport. Sedgwick estimated the billing plan could raise $4 million to $6 million. However, Johnson said the county could reap $13 million from the fees”. A Special Thanks to: Chief Bolden Y. Ali D .Campbell V .Chapman J. Felder S. Gansert J. Johnson E. Picket L. Porter H. Walker D. Young

WHEN: SATURDAY AUGUST 11, 2007 10A-4PM WHERE: CHAPEL OAKS VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT. 5544 SHERIFF ROAD CHAPEL OAKS, M.D 20743 VENDOR TABLES AVAILABLE 4 DONATIONS $35 & $10 ALL DAY PASS FOR FUN TICKETS /CALL DENEEN: 240-508-9054, PORTER: 240-460-8061 STEPHAN: 301-925-4438, LATISHA: 202-497-9788 VISIT US ON :WWW.CHAPELOAKSFIRE.COM FOOD, DRINKS, FUN GAMES, GIVE-A-WAYS,RAFFLES, KIDS SAFETY FINGERPRINT FOR ID FROM LOCAL SHERIFF DEPT. DJ BY SPORTY AND MOON BOUNCES & PONY’S BY “JUMP FOR YOUNGSTER”, PEDRO HALL AND MUCH MORE.

At approx 1800hrs while the company was in the midst of station "clean-up" day, a box alarm was sounded for a building fire in the 5300 block of Sherrif Road. E384, Cheif 38, Cheif 38A, and U-38 responded and reported fire showing to dispatched units. Although there was an aggressive interior attack, conditions deteriorated to the point that command issued an evacuation order. Crews continued fighting the fire using ladder pipes and hand lines. A third alarm was called which brought a full box from DCFD to the scene. Good job by all!! A special thanks to Rose Freeman from www.keepsakes4us.com, who took the great pics you see below and for catching some great video of the incident.

Units from the District of Columbia Fire and Prince Georges County Fire were alerted for the accident with entrapment. As units arrived they found a two car accident with one overturned and persons trapped, and one severely smashed with persons trapped. With both jurisdictions sendings full assignments for persons trapped Squads 8 (PGFD) and 3 (DCFD), arrived and soon went to work with stabilization, and extrication of the victims. Each squad working a different vehicle. It would take approxiamately 20 minutes before the first persons were freed to awaiting ambulances. 1 victim suffering from multi system trauma was transported to Washington's Howard University Hospital along with a split crew medic.A389 would retun in 3 hrs.

Just after 1800 hrs units from the surrounding Palmer Park area were dispatched for a reported house fire. Due to a box alarm clearing in the Kettering area of the county, Engine 384 was dispatched first due. A few minutes later Battalion Chief 1 (clearing the 46 box) arrived with a return of a 2 story semi-detached dwelling with smoke showing from the second floor. Engine 384 arrived seconds later laying a supply line with co 8 securing their water supply forced entry and advanced an attack line to the second floor. Finding a room and contents, the fire was extinguished in just under 10 minutes, with searches and ventilation done by co 22. Command held Co's. 38, 22, and 33 for further overhaul. Cheif 33A (Kelleher) had command.

Shortly after 3pm units from companies 38 and 22 were alerted for a car accident on the Baltimore Washington Parkway at Rte 50. As units entered the ramp to the parkway, traffic was found to be moving pretty steady with no apparent backup. After requesting further info for the call, communications was now receiving calls for the parkway north of Route 450. Units continued north to arrive with one vehicle down an embankment and on fire with one possibly trapped. E384 along with A389 confirmed the corrected updated location, advanced an attack line with E93 providing backup, extinguished a fire in the engine and partly the passenger compartments. Patient care was done by A389 with the patient being packaged and sent to an awaiting medic unit for transport to a local trauma center. If it weren't for U.S. Park police and other citizens pulling this person out of the car and up the embankment they very well would have suffered more severe injuries. All units cleared within an hour and Battalion Chief 1 had the parkway command.

SHORTLY AFTER 1 AM P.G. COUNTY (P.S.C.) RECEIVED NUMEROUS CALLS FOR AN APARTMENT FIRE AT THE #1 CINDY LANE, AN ADDRESS IN AN APARTMENT COMPLEX ALL TOO FAMILIAR WITH COMPANIES IN THE SURROUNDING AREA.FIRST ARRIVING E-81 ARRIVED TO FIND A 3 STORY GARDEN STYLE APARTMENT WITH HEAVY FIRE IN A FIRST FLOOR APARTMENT AND NUMEROUS PEOPLE HANGING FROM WINDOWS ON SIDES A AND C OF THE BUILDING. E-384 ARRIVING SOON AFTER COMPANY 8, ALONG WITH TRK 5 AND E-371 WAS IMMEDIATELY FACED WITH 2 PEOPLE HANGING FROM A THIRD FLOOR WINDOW THREATENING TO JUMP AS HEAVY SMOKE WAS PUSHING OVER TOP OF THEM. C-38B (FELDER) MADE THE DECISION TO UTILIZE THE GROUND LADDERS FROM E-81 AND E-384 AS THERE WAS NO TRK COMPANIES ON THE SCENE IN THE REAR AS OF YET. FIREFIGHTERS MARTIN AND PACAUR CO 38 AND CO 8'S WAGON DRIVER (FIREFIGHTER BRICK) RAISED A LADDER AS TO WHERE BRICK ASCENDED THE LADDER AND SAFELY CALMED THE OCCUPANTS WHO WERE LED BACK DOWN THE LADDER. NO SOONER AFTER THOSE VICTIMS WERE DOWN AN ELDERLY COUPLE WAS NOTICED ON THE BALCONY OF AN ADJACENT APARTMENT, AND AGAIN FIREFIGHTERS MARTIN AND PACAUR RAISED ANOTHER LADDER AS TO WHERE FIREFIGHTER MARTIN ASCENDED THE LADDER AND CALMED THE TERRIFIED VICTIMS AS HEAVY SMOKE WAS PUSHING FROM THEIR APARTMENT ALSO. WITH THIS BEING THE CASE FIREFIGHTER MARTIN SHELTERED THE COUPLE IN PLACE AS, DESCENDING A GROUND LADDER WAS TOO RISKY. AFTER THE BULK OF THE BULK OF THE FIRE WAS KNOCKED DOWN BY COMPANIES 8 AND 37 THE COUPLE WAS SAFELY ESCORTED DOWN THROUGH THE INTERIOR STAIRS BY FIREFIGHTER MARTIN. IN ALL 7 RESCUES WERE MADE BY COMPANIES ON THE FIREGROUND WITH MOST BEING MADE IN THE REAR OF THE BUILDING. A JOB WELL DONE BY ALL COMPANIES.

AS THIS IS AN UNUSUAL CALL TO TAKE PLACE. WHILE OPERATING AT A M.V.C, IN FRONT OF THE EBONY INN, E-384 AND CHIEF 38 WERE BEING SCREAMED AT BY ON LOOKERS OF THE CRASH AS TO THEIR URGENCY IN SEEING THAT THERE WAS A GAS STATION PUMP ON FIRE SOME 2 BLOCKS AWAY FROM THE CRASH SCENE. E-384 AND THE CHIEF ARRIVED AFTER PACKAGING THE CRASH VICTIM AND NOTIFIED COMMUNICATIONS TO FILL OUT THE HAZMAT BOX AS THE BASE OF THE GAS PUMP WAS ON FIRE. AS E-384 WAS GETTING SET UP WITH SUPPLY AND ATTACK LINES OTHER UNITS BEGAN TO ARRIVE. WITH ADDITIONAL HELP BEING ON THE SCENE AND ON THE WAY A COORDINATED EFFORT TO SHUT THE FUEL FLOW TO THE PUMPS WAS DONE AND EXTINGUISHMENT OF ALL FIRE WAS COMPLETED. UNITS OPERATED FOR APPROXIAMETELY 30 MINUTES WITH BATT 1 HAVING THE COMMAND. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS TO BE THE UN-THINKABLE, THE LIGHTING OF A CIGARETTE AT THE PUMP.

P.G. COUNTY P.S.C ALERTED E-384 FOR A REPORTED ACCIDENT AT EASTERN AVE AND KENILWORTH. E-384 WITH 5 VOLUNTEERS WAS NOTIFIED BY COMMUNICATIONS THAT THEY WERE UPGRADING THE CALL TO ONE TRAPPED UNDER THE BACK OF A TRACTOR TRAILER. THIS WOULD BRING SQUAD 8 AS CO 22'S SQUAD WAS OUT OF SERVICE BATT 1 AND OTHER EMS UNITS. E-384 WOULD ARRIVE TO FIND THE ACCIDENT IN THE NORTHBOUND LANES OF I295 JUST PRIOR TO EASTERN AVE. DUE TO THE TRAFFIC BEING STOPPED CO 38 WOULD GO SOUTHBOUND IN THE NORTHBOUND LANES TO REACH THE ACCIDENT SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH (DCFD)E-27. ATTACK LINES WERE STRETCHED BY BOTH COMPANIES AND TRIAGE OF THE SINGLE PATINET WOULD BEGIN. THE VICTIM WOULD BE TRAPPED BY THE DASHBOARD AND STEERING COLUMN UP TO HIS CHEST. SQUADS 8 (PGFD) AND 3 (DCFD) WOULD SOON ARRIVE AND WORK FOR OVER AND HOUR TRYING TO FREE THE TRAPPED VICTIM. DUE TO THE LENGTHY EXTRICATION AN IV WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE MEDICS ON THE SCENE AND THE VICTIM BLANKETED TO KEEP HIM WARM AS TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE 30'S, WITH A SLIGHT WINDCHILL.THE UNUSUAL EXTRICATION WAS DONE BY FIRST BOTH REAR ENDS OF THE TRAILER STABILIZED WITH RAMS AND SUPPORT JACKS. NEXT THE SPREADERS WOULD BE USED TO, POP THE DOORS, THEN THE TRAILER WAS FURTHER PUSHED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AS THE SUV WAS STUCK TO THE TRAILER THIS WOULD IN TURN LIFT THE SUV AND SUSPEND IT IN THE AIR. THE SPREADERS WERE THEN USED TO SPEAD THE DASH FROM THE VICTIM. ONLY AFTER THE CUTTERS WERE USED TO CUT AWAY THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VICTIM WAS FURTHER REMOVED THROUGH THE PASSENGER SIDE ONTO A BACKBOARD AND TO AN AWAITING MEDIC UNIT. THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS THAT THE DRIVER OF THE TRACTOR TRAILER THOUGHT THAT HE WAS ENTERING THE BW PARKWAY AND DECIDED TO BACKUP 295 AND WITH OUR VICTIM BEING INTOXICATED NEVER NEW WHAT WAS GOING ON. A COORDINATED EFFORT BETWEEN ALL UNITS ON THE SCENE WENT WELL. A JOB WELL DONE!

Units in the first battallion were alerted for the house fire at 2315 Bellvue Avenue in Co 22's area. Quint 22 arrived to find heavy smoke from the second floor of a 2 story single family home. A line was quickly stretched by 22 as they were given division 2. E384 arrived a few minutes later and layed a supply line and took a rear position and also stretched a line checking the floor below for any extension as to Co 9 was backing up 22 in division 2. After opening up and the fire knocked down command held Co's 22 and 9 for overhaul. E384 returned to service in 1 hour.

Units from the District of Columbia Fire and Prince Georges County Fire were alerted for the accident with entrapment. As units arrived they found a two car accident with one overturned and persons trapped, and one severely smashed with persons trapped. With both jurisdictions sendings full assignments for persons trapped Squads 8 (PGFD) and 3 (DCFD), arrived and soon went to work with stabilization, and extrication of the victims. Each squad working a different vehicle. It would take approxiamately 20 minutes before the first persons were freed to awaiting ambulances. 1 victim suffering from multi system trauma was transported to Washington's Howard University Hospital along with a split crew medic.A389 would retun in 3 hrs.

Shortly after 12 A.M E384, Rescue Squad 8 and other E.M.S. units were dispatched for the motor vehicle accident with a car on top another in the 400 block of Hill road in Co. 8's area. Units arrived to find in fact the same with the engine compartment of the bottom car on fire with direct impingement of fire on the gas tank of the above car. E384 quickly stretched the trash line and put a good knock on the fire while Squad 8 attended to the injured. Once all patients were packaged and sent to area hospitals Squad 8 and E384 did a quick check for stabilization of the vehicles involved, fnding that both vehicles were stabilized enough, both units returned to service.

Units were dispatched to the Palmer Park area for the shooting with county police, at Palmer Park/Bender roads. Mini pumper 33 and A389 arrived to find a 17 year old shot in the upper body. The patient was boarded and collard and wound management was done. The patient was quickly loaded into the awaiting medic unit and further transported to a local trauma center. This shooting is one of many in the area since October 2006 of which the violence has kept many of the Palmer Parks residents in a rage of uncertainty of the county's police department. This being, that this shooting also is within 2 blocks of the county's police headquarters.

While returning from the hospital, a local alarm for the outside gas leak in the 4800 block of Addison Road was called in by A389 at 1545 hrs. This call-in brought E384 and C-38 with 5 volunteers.Upon arrival and further evaluation, it was found that construction crews had ruptured a 2 inch service line that was within 20 feet of numerous occupied multi-family apartments. Due to the hazard and the size of the line another engine and Chief were requested. Quint 22 as an engine company along with Battallion Chief 1 responded and upon arrival assisted witn meter reading of the 3 buildings, while E384 provided an attack line to the gas company as they cut off the gas. Units cleared the scene in approxiamately 1 hour. Chief 38 ( J. Bolden ) had the Addison road command.

Chapel Oaks VFD will be hosting a dedication ceremony for our new engine. The event will be held on October 21 at 12 noon until PM, at the station. All members and friends are invited