Stations 6, 7, 8, 11 and 74 dispatched for the Decon teams.
UPDATE 1: They are now requesting the Police to block off roads at Pittsville Road and Gumboro Road for traffic. Station 7 has had to be re-alerted because they do not have an engine driver.
Witnesses say there was a cloud of chlorine. Staging will be at the Pittsville Fire Department.
UPDATE 2: A Volunteer Chief on the scene talked to the President of the Council and told him that they tried to turn off the valve and it broke, They are saying the entire tank is now almost empty, not good.
This is about a 170 gallon tank!!!
UPDATE 3: A representative from the Town of Pittsville is in need of medical attention. Patient is located on the Pittsville Fire Department front pad.
UPDATE 4: Assistant Chief 1, Paramedic 16, Engine 16 and HazMat 1 are now on the scene from Salisbury.
UPDATE 5: Now they are requesting the Board of Education to keep everyone IN THE SCHOOL.
UPDATE 6: Gumboro Engine 79-1 are now on the scene.
UPDATE 7: Central is asking command if Paramedic 16 would be available for transport and they said negative. Now they are dispatching Station 6 for an ambulance to assist.
UPDATE 8: Stations 8 & 11 are being alerted for a fire engine each to assist Station 7 with the chlorine leak.
UPDATE 9: Ambulances B-7 and A-8 have transported at least one patient each. The Berlin Fire Department is being dispatched to Station 7 for cover. Laurel Engine 81 just arrived to the scene.
UPDATE 10: HazMat 1 has advised that there is still an active leak in the building.
UPDATE 11: Accountability Check required to be done every 20 minutes: some units working on the scene: Ambulance A-6, Hazmat 1, Assistant Cheif 1, Paramedic 16, Engine 16, Command 6, Command 7, Rescue Engine 604, Tanker 11, Tanker 74-5, Tanker 805, Utility 74-8, Paramedic A8, Paramedic A7, Engine 1103.
Command places the incident UNDER CONTROL at 10:35 AM.
UPDATE 12: The Volunteer Firefighters are going door to door in Pittsville informing them of the leak and checking to make sure everyone is OK.
Originally Posted at 8:58 AM.
45 comments:
Guess all that money that is missing now catching up with them with no maintenance--Denver has sure kept all the missing money a secret
what does this mean I have family right by the fire dept.
Small chlorine tank, but once the gas is released, there is a lot of it. Severe respiratory distress and pulmonary edema develop. It's regular use in Water and waste water treatment plants. Oh by the way Salisbury WWTP has 6-8 ton cylinders of chlorine in stock with two on line at any given time. Not to mention the sulfur dioxide, ferric chloride and other bad chemicals required or produced!
Maybe now the residents will wake up and demand that the stolen money be returned with criminal charges filed, new town employees and commissioners, and someone that can run the water department so the water won't be so bad with chlorine and rusty water
Paramedic 16 and all of the paid fire staff from the Salisbury Fire Department is at that Chorine leak in the Town of Pittsville. The Salisbury Fire Department already has 2 ambulances out of service and one is on the call. That leaves one ambulance to cover the city of over 30,000 residents and that isn't even including the visitors who work in the city. WTH!! If I was the Mayor or Council someone's butt would be in my office immediately to explain this one to me. This is negligence in respect for the safety of it's residents and visitors. This proves that Rick Hoppes is incompetent and a piss poor leader.
Anonymous said...
what does this mean I have family right by the fire dept.
September 25, 2014 at 9:12 AM
It means they should be working so you have nothing to worry about.
Has anyone called OSHA/MOSHA and let them know OR will Denver hide this too???
Hilarious 9:39! You should go to Hollywood and be a comedian instead of lying around your house on the Internet positing ignorant and tasteless comments.
First, this is a very dangerous situation. Chlorine is nothing to mess with.
Secondly, people have been hurt and sent to the Hospital.
Comments should represent the thanks to the Firefighters and Paramedics and well as best wishes to those injured.
The Denver Moore situation does not belong on this thread.
9:47, I'm confident those in charge have taken the proper protocol steps.
Please keep us updated. Will there be evacuations?
The fire departments are responding to a freaking catastrophe and NOT getting paid by the county I might add. They refuse to cover fire and ambulance from Salisbury when they leave corporate limits. Hope all are ok!
WBOC and Delmarvanow are reporting NOTHING! Thanks Joe!
@Joe if those in charge had actually taken proper care of maintance then it would never have happened! Thanks to all the Fire Dept. that have responded! Thanks to all the VOLUNTEERS that are in those Fire Dept's! Prayers for all involved - the injured, and the surronding area residents!
How is the school and residences..I have granddaughters there
Schools are sheltering in place at this time and all air handlers have been closed. No evacuations announced at this point - info at www.wcboe.org Should evacuations be needed I would imagine that robo calls will go out if they have not already done so.
Anonymous said...
The fire departments are responding to a freaking catastrophe and NOT getting paid by the county I might add. They refuse to cover fire and ambulance from Salisbury when they leave corporate limits. Hope all are ok!
September 25, 2014 at 10:03 AM
"They refuse to cover fire and ambulance from Salisbury when they leave corporate limits."
HUH???
I understand where JOE is coming from, and where the rest are as well...
We can not let go the fact that poor maintenance or someone vindictive had a playing part in this problem...
It amazes me how the govt at any level want to build new crap and let the old stuff rot away and instead of fixing old stuff before you build new, stuff like this happens... And everyone has the right to comment as such...
We never fix anything or try to fix anything until people get hurt plain an simple and that is not the way to go about it... just like the bridges, they fall down then they want to blame people other than the proper people who had their hand in it...
now there is a serious health problem and you want us to wish is happy thoughts a prayers to the people who sit ignorantly by to let this happen...
MAYBE now you all will wake up and finally see this is hitting home as I said it would... Maybe now you will care where your money goes and to whom and for what... Can you honestly expect the govt to keep you safe when they can't even stop half of which they say is a threat? they can't find a damn airplane, two to be exact, and they can't find this guy camping in the woods... BUT THEY Can track ever word you say or picture you make huh?
You all have your priorities ass backwards... you focus your anger or efforts at the wrong people...
I am sorry this happen, and don't wish anything like this on anyone, but damn if you all didn't bring it on yourselves by turning a blind eye... and for believing anyone and everyone without you doing your own due diligence... NO ONE TO BLAME BUT YOURSELVES...
I pray for the hurt, and for the future people who will be hurt...
Anonymous said...
Schools are sheltering in place at this time and all air handlers have been closed. No evacuations announced at this point - info at www.wcboe.org Should evacuations be needed I would imagine that robo calls will go out if they have not already done so.
September 25, 2014 at 10:13 AM
WCBOE ranking staff are trolling SBYNews.Com.
Thank you for reading Joes Blog.
932
You've no idea about anything. The SFD is part of a county-wide mutual aid response. The county provides over $100K to the city to help with equipment purchases, staffing, and upkeep. The HM unit is also part of a regional response. The unit responds as requested with a task force of additional apparatus/staffing. The duty chief for command and control as well as support for whomever may be in command. The ambulance's main purpose is to take care of the task force's health and well-being, as well S assist with civilians. An engine often goes to provide water and staff. This is a normal response that your taxes help pay for. Mutual aid agreements are common across the country and a perfect example is wild land fires out West. Where do you think all those resources come from? It's the same principle. NO FD anywhere can be prepared to handle these types of emergencies on their own. If they were, you'd be griping about the cost because it would take lots of funds and personnel to make that happen.
If medic units or fire apparatus are needed in Salisbury, they will either be moved up into the city or called for as needed, so as to try not to deplete the resources of other municipalities. But, the entire county, and surrounding counties, are parts of these agreements, which are set up in advance for just such occasions. It helps keep your taxes from being worse than they already are.
Rick Hoppes may be the chief now, but these agreements have been in place for years and are here to stay. Whether he is a "piss poor leader" or isnt, has nothing to do with this and your own character is in question for trying to politicize a dangerous situation, rather than pray and hope for those involved.
Thankfully, you are not on the council or are the mayor. For if you were, it would you who would be negligent for failing to provide the resources necessary to assist a local FD to mitigate this incident.
Make your attacks while you hide behind your computer screen, rather than join as a volunteer and help make a difference. That's about all you're good for.
Thank you for the updates Joe, it's better than the local news.
Anonymous said...
932
You've no idea about anything. The SFD is part of a county-wide mutual aid response. The county provides over $100K to the city to help with equipment purchases, staffing, and upkeep. The HM unit is also part of a regional response. The unit responds as requested with a task force of additional apparatus/staffing. The duty chief for command and control as well as support for whomever may be in command. The ambulance's main purpose is to take care of the task force's health and well-being, as well S assist with civilians. An engine often goes to provide water and staff. This is a normal response that your taxes help pay for. Mutual aid agreements are common across the country and a perfect example is wild land fires out West. Where do you think all those resources come from? It's the same principle. NO FD anywhere can be prepared to handle these types of emergencies on their own. If they were, you'd be griping about the cost because it would take lots of funds and personnel to make that happen.
If medic units or fire apparatus are needed in Salisbury, they will either be moved up into the city or called for as needed, so as to try not to deplete the resources of other municipalities. But, the entire county, and surrounding counties, are parts of these agreements, which are set up in advance for just such occasions. It helps keep your taxes from being worse than they already are.
Rick Hoppes may be the chief now, but these agreements have been in place for years and are here to stay. Whether he is a "piss poor leader" or isnt, has nothing to do with this and your own character is in question for trying to politicize a dangerous situation, rather than pray and hope for those involved.
Thankfully, you are not on the council or are the mayor. For if you were, it would you who would be negligent for failing to provide the resources necessary to assist a local FD to mitigate this incident.
Make your attacks while you hide behind your computer screen, rather than join as a volunteer and help make a difference. That's about all you're good for.
September 25, 2014 at 10:41 AM
10:41 AM many of us on here would rather listen to or read the comments from the citizens and the tax payers than your mindless drivel about saving your paid firemen jobs. Please take a hike because your job is not needed and all you are doing is trying to justify your paid firemen jobs.
That's funny. I heard the county paid nothing to the city for fire and ambulance services.
BREAKING NEWS!! Delmarvanow posts the story at 10:34. At the exact time command reports under control. Way to go!
Why is everyone on here fighting with one another about who is paying who?! Nasty bitterness and bickering, this is whats wrong with the world today. Instead of fighting maybe you guys should pray for the ones hurt.
Anonymous said...
932
You've no idea about anything. The SFD is part of a county-wide mutual aid response. The county provides over $100K to the city to help with equipment purchases, staffing, and upkeep. The HM unit is also part of a regional response. The unit responds as requested with a task force of additional apparatus/staffing. The duty chief for command and control as well as support for whomever may be in command. The ambulance's main purpose is to take care of the task force's health and well-being, as well S assist with civilians. An engine often goes to provide water and staff. This is a normal response that your taxes help pay for. Mutual aid agreements are common across the country and a perfect example is wild land fires out West. Where do you think all those resources come from? It's the same principle. NO FD anywhere can be prepared to handle these types of emergencies on their own. If they were, you'd be griping about the cost because it would take lots of funds and personnel to make that happen.
If medic units or fire apparatus are needed in Salisbury, they will either be moved up into the city or called for as needed, so as to try not to deplete the resources of other municipalities. But, the entire county, and surrounding counties, are parts of these agreements, which are set up in advance for just such occasions. It helps keep your taxes from being worse than they already are.
Rick Hoppes may be the chief now, but these agreements have been in place for years and are here to stay. Whether he is a "piss poor leader" or isnt, has nothing to do with this and your own character is in question for trying to politicize a dangerous situation, rather than pray and hope for those involved.
Thankfully, you are not on the council or are the mayor. For if you were, it would you who would be negligent for failing to provide the resources necessary to assist a local FD to mitigate this incident.
Make your attacks while you hide behind your computer screen, rather than join as a volunteer and help make a difference. That's about all you're good for.
September 25, 2014 at 10:41 AM
Obviously you have no idea about anything. It is not the responsibility of Salisbury City taxpayers to fund any of your so called "regional responses."
You are not a tax payer in the city so you have no say in this matter so the best thing you can do is keep your mouth shut.
Anon 9:32 Excellent reply. There are many facts about todays fire service that the public needs to understand.
Thank you for all the updates. My children attend Pittsville school and I was worried. We received very timely calls from the school. but with only basic information. Your blog helped me a lot this morning.
Thank you for the updates. My children attend Pittsville school and I was worried. We received very timely calls from the school, but with very little details. Your blog helped me a lot this morning.
Update for Pittsville School, Willards Prek
Posted on 09/25/2014
Pittsville Elementary and Middle School is back in normal status after a chlorine leak in Pittsville, as the “safe in place” guidance has been lifted. The school will send an explanatory letter home to parents/guardians about this morning’s event.
Prior to normal operations resuming, Willards Elementary had notified its parents/guardians that PM Prekindergarten had been cancelled for Thursday, Sept. 25, due to most of the students coming from the Pittsville area. PM Prekindergarten will not take place at Willards Elementary today.
Original post: There has reportedly been a chlorine leak this morning at the Pittsville Water Treatment Plant, approximately 1 mile from Pittsville Elementary and Middle School. We have been instructed by local authorities to shelter in place at Pittsville Elementary and Middle with the air handlers closed, and we are doing that. Students and staff will remain in the school until future notice. We will keep you posted.
copied from WCBOE page at www.wcboe.org
10:48am You heard wrong & I'm guessing you heard from someone who wants to stir the pot.
Since schools are sheltering in place at this time and all air handlers have been closed... why aren't the resident being told to shut off air conditioners and shut windows??? they are just being told of the leak and to make sure everyone is well.
Did they send anyone to the lions club in Willards.
10:50 I saw that. Wboc did the same thing. Glad I found on HERE what was going on so I could stay inside. If I would have waited for them to report it I could have been dead.
Joe, Once again your blog has been an invaluable source of information that kept everyone's mind at ease.
As far as the bickering on here, you guys are unbelievable. At 1150 I was on my way back home in Willards. At Sixty Foot Road the Salisbury ambulance was getting on Route 50 west heading back towards Salisbury. So they had held the ambulance there while homes in the surrounding area were checked to make sure that everyone was ok. No I'm not a member of any fire department nor do I care. I'm just reporting what I observed. The bottom line is ALL of the people who responded today deserve a huge thank you.
No news here, small chemical leak. As usually this blog blows it out of proportion. SBYNews, where mole hills become mountains.
anonymous 1:08, AKA Jonathan Taylor, Do tell us Jonathan, just what did we blow out of "proportion"? We broke the news HOURS before anyone else and IF you didn't have an RSS feed to Salisbury News, you wouldn't have known about it either. Of course you MUST depend on that feed to tell you what's actually going on here on the Shore.
You tell people how difficult and exhausting being a Blogger is, yet from what I hear you average about 5 articles a day, not the 65 on average we provide each day. Yeah JT, it sure it tough on you.
As for your comment, it shows just how upset you are that your insider in the SPD didn't tell you first or that you were sleeping in, (a body that large requires a TON of extra sleep or the heart would just explode) and missed all the excitement.
No one made a mountain out of a mole hill, we simply reported the news and kept the community updated in real time because we have REAL sources.
Folks, I'm sorry I didn't have images but my Drone can't travel that far. Believe me, I would have loved to be there but you'll see more images soon enough. I know, perhaps MoJo's tonight?
1:08--
I would never classify a chlorine gas leak as a mole hill!! Get informed, troll!!
Looks like JT has been blogged again. Please like me on facebook, pretty please.
Joe thank you for this important information.
Not one paid fireman is a home owning tax payer in Salisbury so no paid fireman has a right to make any comments about the Salisbury Fire Department because all they want to do is get rid of the volunteers and justify a job for a paid fireman.
@ 3:09,
That's because they were intelligent enough to buy a house in the county with double the land at 4/5ths the price. Oh and without double the taxes. Lol, who is the real fools here.
@10:55
So you don't like the regional responses? You don't want your tax paid equipment going into Pittsville to help? So I guess it's okay for us in the surrounding FDs to stop responding into Salisbury when they have a delayed ambulance response, or when they only have 2 ambulances in services and can't keep up with the call volume.
It doesn't work that way smuck. We are all in this to help one another. In an emergency we, as well as those affected, could care less who's tax money pays for what.
Command Central?
Anonymous said...
Not one paid fireman is a home owning tax payer in Salisbury so no paid fireman has a right to make any comments about the Salisbury Fire Department because all they want to do is get rid of the volunteers and justify a job for a paid fireman
That is an incorrect statement. My neighbor is a paid fireman and lives on Evergreen Ave. I cannot speak for the others, but he does work for the city fire department.
To those talking about the mutual aid agreement, there's been no Salisbury fire service agreement with the county for years. Didn't you keep up with the news?
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