Another fire, another Cherrydale response

Last night at 9:19 p.m., ACFD and Fairfax County fire units were sent to 4514 North 41st Street for the House Fire. Cherrydale volunteer Lowry was aboard Engine 103, which arrived second due with a career crew of Captain Higgins and Firefighters Barb, Jaquays and Waterfall. Engine 103 advanced an attack line along with Engine 108's crew and was able to knock down the fire in short order.

Also on the call was Cherrydale's Light and Air unit, staffed with a crew from the Falls Church VFD. Firefighters Schomburg and Greear along with Recruits Deven Hessler and Addy Hessler, Frey and Weckstien assisted for seven hours packing hose, refilling air bottles, and assisting the fire marshal's office with their investigation.

Going to work

At 2118 on Monday, April 30, Arlington County's Emergency Communications Center put out a call for a house fire in Engine 103's second due area. The career crew of Captain Higgins, Firefighters Jaquays and Reeve, Fire Trainee Waterfall with Cherrydale Volunteer Firefighter Lowry responded to 1210 North Taylor Street. The engine crew stretched a hose line from Engine 102 and entered the basement on the Baker Side. With Waterfall on the nozzle, the fire was quickly contained to the area of origin. There was little extension and Engine 103 cleared within an hour.

Water and fire

The Cherrydale VFD has been busy with both fire and water. CVFD Recruit Firefighter Joe Lowry caught a job while on Engine 103 recently. A fire broke out at just past 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 17, 2007 at an apartment complex at 4385 Lee Highway. Engine 103 arrived to find smoke showing from the top floor of the three story complex. After taking in a line, they extinguished a kitchen fire which had extended into some duct work. With some roof work by the crews of Tower 104 and Truck 106, the fire was brought under control quickly. This was the first fire for ACFD Trainee Ned Waterfall, 103-C. Lowry worked with the career crew of Captain Steve McCoy, FF Jesse Reeve, FF/Medic Glenn Smith, and Fire Trainee Ned Waterfall.



The Light and Air unit has also been busy with winter storm activity, having been staffed several times in the last few weeks to run wires down and other public service calls. Members of the Cherrydale VFD and the Falls Church VFD have assisted in staffing the unit. Running public service calls is not exciting but it provides significant value to the County as it keeps an engine company in service for other work.

CVFD's December 7th may live in infamy...

Thursday, December 7, 2006 was a good night for the Cherrydale VFD. At 7:00 p.m., members met at the Arlington Emergency Communications Center for a tour courtesy of Administrative Member and Arlington ECC Dispatcher Karen Thiverge. A nice tour and greater understanding of ECC were greatly appreciated. We went our seperate ways with Firefighter Recruit Joe Lowry heading to Station 3 to ride the engine for the night.

At 2118, Engine 103 was dispatched to 2814 Washington Blvd for the House Fire. We were dispatched and arrived 4th Due engine and assumed our duties as the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT). We arrived with heavy smoke showing, fire from the basement of Side Charlie, parked our unit out of the way, grabbed our tools, and proceeded to the house. Upon our arrival, several things needed to be done. First, the water supply had not yet been established. Lowry did this while our Captain did a walk around of the structure. As RIT, it is important to know the layout or perceived layout of the structure including entry and exit points as well as where the fire is located. Our next task included ventilation, and we were ordered to take the second floor windows. Truck 104 had taken care of laddering the building. We used those ladders to access the porch roof. While two firefighters went to the roof, Lowry secured the ladder. It isimportant that you not let go of that ladder until the firefigher reaches the roof and also be prepared for them to come back down.The fire was quickly knocked down. E103 did another walk around. We checked the exterior basement window seams for extension as fire had at one point blown out the windows so we pulled back some siding. Nothing found so we began to help pick up by rolling hose and putting away tools. We were onscene for about an hour.

Pictures from ACFD3.com.

Riding 5th, Cherrydaler catches his first fire

On Tuesday, August 22, CVFD member Joe Lowry, riding as the fifth man with the career crew on Engine 103, worked on the interior for the first time during a working fire. Engine 103 was dispatched around 4:00 a.m. to 5436 North 22nd Street for a house fire and found a 1 1/2 story home with the rear well involved. Arriving third, Engine 103 took an attack line in the front door, knocking down the bulk of the fire inside the rear of the home. Lowry assisted on the attack line and with overhaul. E103 was on scene for just under two hours and after picking up our hose and refilling our air bottles, got back in quarters around 6:30 a.m.