You don't know me my name is CoraLee Dykes I live on Eden Allen Road in Eden Maryland I feel I needed to tell you my story since no one else will listen. I have called BOTH local T.V. stations and they don't even care enough to return my calls. A friend of mine gave me your name and said that you might be able to help me so here is my story.
On Sunday March 16, 2014 I got up for work like it was any other work day for me at 5:00am drank a cup of coffee, took my dog out for his walk around 5:45am, went out to my truck got my travel coffee mug. As I was fixing my coffee for my trip to work I liked out my kitchen window and saw a small fire under the front wheel of my F-250 I thought I was seeing things so I looked closer to the window and it was larger! I screamed for my husband that my truck was on fire and ran out of the house grabbing a gallon of bottled water! My Husband ran out and started helping me try to put out this fire that was spreading fast I grabbed my cell phone and dialed 911 at 6:33 (according to my cell phone records) I was screaming and telling no begging the 911 operator to send the Allen Fire Company the 911 dispatcher insisted that he had to send Princess Anne Fire Company! I yelled at the dispatcher that Allen was right around the corner like 1 mile away! The dispatcher told me it was Somerset County and it was Princess Anne Fire Company's Territory and hung up! I ran back to help my husband try to put out the fire the Fire extinguisher he was using ran out just as he was getting the fire under control and it burst back into flames he then ran and grabbed the garden hose something in the truck exploded and shot flames into the air catching the tree on fire above the truck! I grabbed my cell phone and called 911 back at 6:40(according to cell phone records) I was screaming at the dispatcher to please send Allen Fire Company and he said we were Somerset County I screamed at him that not only was my truck on fire but now so was the tree that sits right next to our mobile home screaming and yes cursing him he finally listened and switched me to Wicomico 911! I screamed to the Wicomico dispatcher to send Allen Fire Company and he said you are Somerset county I bluntly screamed if he Fu**ing hooked me to Somerset I would kick his ass that my truck was burning and so was the tree that lead to our mobile home to send Allen NOW at that point I heard the Allen fire alarm go off! I set the phone down and continued to help my husband approximately 4 minutes Allen and Princess Anne pulled up at same time I screamed that I wanted Allen not Princess Anne that they took too long but Princess Anne got out of truck and started helping my husband put out fire!
I have found out since the fire that Princess Anne won't let Allen respond to calls in their territory! When did it become a Territory thing? Shouldn't it be the closest Fire Department available?? No Joe it is all about MONEY not people's lives or property!! I want to change this political bull crap before it causes someone to lose not their property but their life. We have A LOT of small children that live on our road even the Shore Up child care is on our road. What is to happen if a child is trapped in a burning building are they supposed to wait 20 Minute and burn to death waiting for Princess Anne Fire Company when Allen Fire Company is only 3 minutes away!! PLEASE PLEASE Mr. Albero use your influence to get the good ole boy mentality in Princess Anne to change this!! Allen Fire Company has tried everything to get Princess Anne to let them be the company to respond to this area, BUT let’s face it the new Allen ambulance would respond and might cut into Princess Anne's precious pocket! Anything you can do to help would be appreciated and could save lives!
Sincerely,
CoraLee Dykes
44 comments:
First of all, I am so sorry for your loss. I'm thankful that no one was injured, but it is still a pain to deal with something like this. I live on Campground Road in Eden, and I was told the same thing. Allen Fire Co. is less than two miles from my house, but Princess Anne has to show up. How is it that Somerset County responds first to put out a fire in Wicomico County, which is apparently where I live.
This post will get interesting if the right people from Pocomoke Vol FD show up here. P.A. is doing the same thing in the south-end of Somerset - responding to calls all the way down Rt 13 to SYSCO.
I grew up on meadow bridge rd in Eden. It is somerset county. Just down the road one way it turns to worcester, the other way turns into wi comico. When we dialed 9-1-1, worcester county (snow hill) was dispatched, despite the fact that fruitland fire dept was less than 5 miles away, and princess anne was closer than snow hill. Never made sense to me, but no one asked for my opinion.
If you mentioned the specific cause of this fire I missed it.That is available via public record so I'll check it out.Another version is always interesting.Sorry for your loss.
I am sorry you lost your vehicle and I understand some of your frustration. But why did it take you from 5:45 when you first noticed the fire until 6:33 when you first called either fire dept?
That is 48 minutes lost right ?
I am sorry for your loss but as a Wicomico County resident why should I pay for your fire protection. Somerset County does not allocate any monies to Allen Fire Company but they do pay a very large amount to the Princess Anne Fire Department.
Find out which fire department covers you, before you need to call. It has never been whichever fire department is closest. County and city lines have a purpose.
One Reason A LIFE should NOT have a monetary value placed on it no matter what country or state we live in we are all americans PERIOD!!
CoraLee Dykes
The last time I went out to my truck it was 5:45 there was a time lapse between the time doing other things making coffee putting dog up ect. I call 911 a.s.a.p. when I ran back in house and got cell phone!
Thanks
CoraLee Dykes
3:20
Was that comment really called for?
Mrs. Coralee,
I am truly sorry for your loss. You are right though, there is a feud between the Princess Anne VFC and the Allen VFC and it is all over territory. Somerset County literally starts about 1 mile southeast of the Allen VFC. The sad part is that someone could be that 1 mile away and be dying and even though Allen VFC has a 24/7 on duty paramedic it will still be the Princess Anne VFC which is 5-7 miles away that will still get the call. Then assume that their paramedics are already on calls and can't respond. It will be another 6 minutes before Allen VFC will even get toned out for the call.
It really is quite sad.
Actually, that area was Allen's area. The response area was just recently changed by the current Princess Anne Fire Company Officers. They took the territory away from Allen without them knowing.
what the hell does living in a trailer have to do with paying taxes???
Firefighters Oath
I promise concern for others. A willingness to help all those in need.
I promise courage - courage to face and conquer my fears. Courage to share and endure the ordeal of those who need me.
I promise strength - strength of heart to bear whatever burdens might be placed upon me. Strength of body to deliver to safety all those placed within my care.
I promise the wisdom to lead, the compassion to comfort, and the love to serve unselfishly whenever I am called.
-unknown author-
Was this carried out?
Coralee and her husband are tax paying citizens that are trying to look out for the safety of their fellow neighbors. Just bc the boundaries are in place, doesn't mean they make sense. Lives could have been lost. Their home. And the kind of home that they live in, should have no part in your opinion on whether or not a fire department should respond to a call.
The point is, at some point we all are put in a position at some point in our lives to stick to a ridiculous rule that makes no sense or reach out to someone in need that may make the difference between lives saved, and lives lost.
Tell us again how great it I'd to live in the country.
Come on Joe do some investigative reporting. Leave Salisbury fd alone for a week and try to help our community. You may find out how many families this truly does affect. In three counties!
This is true, it's only this happened a little over a year ago.
Eden Allen Road is a no-man's land. I lived there for a year...maybe '97?
I called 911 about 4 night-time gunshots once. Who's up to any good shooting things at 1am? The dispatcher couldn't figure out which Sheriff's office to send, so they told me, "I'm going to give this to the State Police. There aren't many of them, so it's going to take a long time before they get there."
In my opinion no it was not and I did not get to see the comment about living in a trailer or mobile home just and FYI You pay taxes on the home and the land it sits on so really we pay double the tax! I just want to everyone to know if a mobile home catches it does burn faster yet another reason the CLOSEST fire company should respond if a child is trapped in a fire those minutes could be life or death!
CoraLee
I personally want to thank Joe for having the guts to post my story when NO ONE else even cared enough to return a phone call or an e-mail! I have heard a lot of people say they don't care for Mr. Albero and refuse to base my opinion on other peoples words. I am really glad I didn't listen them! If this blog saves so much as one life it is worth it! Thank you Joe for caring enough to at least let my friends, neighbors know this is going on and it could cost them property or even worse their lives!
CoraLee Dykes
cora lee is a very nice woman, she always helps me find the toys i need at toys r us. I'm sorry this happened to such a nice lady. God Bless.
You could just tow it on over the line and have Allen put it out…Sorry, I could not resist. It is a problem for many people when the lines get moved or they happen to live along a border such as MD/DE/VA. It is likely that another fire department is closer but not in your state. In the event that the 911 call had stated that there was a structure fire (w/wo entrapment) both departments would likely have been dispatched at the same time. Count your blessings that the fire did not spread to your home and that no one was injured.
Fire districts should be set by distance to nearest fd. so when you call 911 it should dial into the right one. This is common sense and the right thing to do for the safety of citizens.
Just between the Allen-Eden and Princess Anne area it is at least 150-200 homes.
Yes if it had been reported as a structure fire then Princess Anne, Allen, and Fruitland would have all been dispatched at the same time.
In my opinion the real issue is not fire as they are far more rare than EMS calls. Like I said earlier: say you are home alone and you are having a major heart attack yet you manage to call 911 shortly before going into cardiogenic shock. You only live 1 mile from the Allen VFC and they do staff a 24/7/365 paramedic but since you live right on the Somerset County line your call is dispatched to Princess Anne which is 6 miles away. Now let's say that both Princess Anne paramedics are already out on a call (which is often), Princess Anne will be alerted for 6 minutes before Allen ever gets alerted.
Now I want you to look at your watch for six minutes knowing that every minute that goes by 10% of your hearts tissue dies. Then after six minutes realize that Allen just got alerted but now the paramedic has to wait for a "driver" to respond to the station before he can head out in the ambulance. This can easily be another 2-4 minutes. So now finally 8-10 minutes after you called 911 an ambulance is on it's way to help you, it's just too bad that you no longer any heart tissue left to save and your are now dead.
8:00 Very valid points. There are benefits and drawbacks to living in the country. It is also possible to be in Salisbury and not make it to the hospital too.
8:00 Very valid points. There are benefits and drawbacks to living in the country. It is also possible to be in Salisbury and not make it to the hospital too.
Last time I needed to go to the hospital, I had my wife drive me. Can't afford the cost and wait. Rather take my chances without them.
Seems its all about money and how much they can get from you.
Time past due for an investigation into the Wicomico County 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Center and the leadership (or lack thereof). For the monies that are spent by both the county and state for an ultramodern communications center, the taxpayers of Wicomico County are being raped daily. It is pretty bad when I can sit home and hear "central" dispatch a garage fire at an address within the city limits of Salisbury, Maryland that I know from personal experience DOES NOT EXIST. (House number dispatched was a 3 digit address) Then when fire equipment arrives and personnel advise that there is no such address, the communications center corrects the information with giving them a 4 digit address that does exist, and that is really where the fire is. Good thing it was not my property that was destroyed because someone would/could not do their job. The Allen Somerset County incident should be thoroughly investigated by an outside group of taxpayers that want the right answers to a problem that should have not have been in the first place. Where is Tricky Ricky when you really need him, he is a proud resident of downtown Allen, MD. It is time for him to grow a backbone and run Wicomico County for the taxpayers/residents instead of filling his pockets and those of Wayne S. his fall boy.
7:47pm None said,
Your statement about the amount of homes in the Eden area is way off. First thing is Eden covers three counties,Wicomico,Somerset and Worcester.Most folks are unaware of how big Eden really is. The number of homes have nothing to do with life safety in this situation, Princess Anne and Allen started this argument off when Allen want to charge them for EMS service to their county and the snowball has grown from there. Trouble is that both companies are somewhat correct and both companies are DEAD wrong at the same time. Fruitland and Allen have been at one another's throats since Allen was first formed and no one will ever be able to resolve that with out common sense and distance for a response area. For the most part the firefighters actually fighting the fire are friends and don't give a rats behind where they are fighting the fire but that they are helping a neighbor in need.
Cora Lee. Ford had a recall on cruise control switches that were causing fires. The area you describe as burning sounds like this may be the cause. Check with your insurance company and your ford dealer.
Has anyone else had issues with Wicomico County 911?
Anonymous said...
Actually, that area was Allen's area. The response area was just recently changed by the current Princess Anne Fire Company Officers. They took the territory away from Allen without them knowing.
April 2, 2014 at 3:52 PM
So what, it is in Somerset County and their area. They did the right thing. My tax dollars should not be used to send Allens ambulance to Princess Anne and Somerset County all the time. If it wasn't for the Somerset County calls the ambulance wouldn't be making any money on the ambulance to pay for their new fire toys.
I'm only talking about the ones just on the Somerset side. There is a trailer park with atleast 30-50 lots, Eden-Allen road has another 20-30 homes on it. Then you have to think about the homes on Allen rd after the bridge, Polks rd, Peggie Neck rd. Then cross 13 and you have the rest of Peggie Neck rd, Backbone rd, and Seatick rd. Plus all the small developments on these roads. 150-200 homes is a very conservitive number, I suspect it could be double that.
Since the Allen VFC is so close to the county line and does respond to Someraet county quite frequently, I believe they should get money from both counties. But that will never happen.
As far as your money being used to send the Allen ambulance into Somerset, when lives are at stake and time is save able life then how can you put a value on that.
What if your child, spouse, loved one got into an accident right in that territory and since it was just on the Somerset side they now had to wait that much extra time for help to arrive. What if it was that extra time without care that caused them to die. How would you feel about your tax dollars then.
When we first bought this house, Fruitland kept knocking on the door asking for money. I ran them off a couple if times. Boy did I feel stupid when I found out we were in their territory even though we live east of the bypass in Wicomico. You want to know about territory, Parsonsburg can fill you in. It seems it's all theirs.
The simple truth: Individuals are much faster to use the word no then to actually help a citizen. I call this the 10 percent rule. Only 10 percent of any occupation is actually willing to help a person. In police and fire they are more concerned with whose jurisdiction it is then to aide the victim first then sort things out later. Lived it witnessed it daily.
Parsons burg does cover the largest territory in Wicomico County.
and are wrong daily.
Anonymous said...
I am sorry for your loss but as a Wicomico County resident why should I pay for your fire protection. Somerset County does not allocate any monies to Allen Fire Company but they do pay a very large amount to the Princess Anne Fire Department.
April 2, 2014 at 12:52 PM
Really? If you were trapped in a fire or having a heart attack you would want the closest fire department, right? Every MD fire department gets State and Federal money every year to operate. This is ALL POLITICS!! Billing another county or city all started with Salisbury Fire Dept billing to carry paramedics out of City limits to meet inbound ambulances. IT IS ABOUT SAVING LIVES and not what county you are in. Sharptown (Wicomico)has had this problem with Eldorado (Dorchester)over Galestown. Sharptown is closer, and the residents want their services but it is another county. It's funny that Laurel (DE) and Sharptown (MD) can work together and not bill each other and argue over territory; if a call is closer to Sharptown there is a dual response requested. The Golden Hour in emergency medicine and the matter of seconds with a fire could mean life or death. What happened to protect and serve? Not fight and argue.
12:52
Wow that was an insanely idiotic thing to write. I hope if the tables were turned that the people with the power to help you don't ask for a credit card number first.
If I were you I'd apologize to everyone on here for your callous indifference.
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