During the morning rush hour on Friday June 19, 2009 at approximately 0820 hrs the fire company was dispatched to a motor vehicle accident involving a tractor trailer and 1 car.  Engine 49-1 was first on location with Asst. 49 and advised incoming units there was a truck on its side blocking all 3 lanes of Route 1 South. The truck was hauling scrap wood when it collided with a car causing it to overturn.  The saddle tank was leaking, and Middlesex County Hazmat was requested to respond.  The crew from Engine 49-1 secured the cab of the truck using a set of Junkyard Dogs.  Speedi Dri along with a portable spill pond was used to contain most of the leaking diesel fuel until hazmat arrived on scene.  Once Hazmat drained the diesel from the truck, it was uprighted by a heavy duty wrecker.  Princeton Plasma Physics Lab provided a backhoe to assist with cleaning up the roadway of the scrap wood.  The closing of the road for 4 hours caused a nightmare for motorists trying to get to their destination. The driver of the truck was transported to the hospital with a minor head injury, and the driver of the car was not hurt.  Units that responded, Engine 49-1, Rescue 49, Engine 49, West Windsor Rescue 43-1, Plainsboro EMS, Ambulance 166, Utility 166, Plainsboro Police, West Windsor Police,Middlesex County Hazmat, and D.O.T sand truck.

During the evening rush hour on Friday June 12, 2009 the tones went off for fluids on the road way from a motor vehicle accident.  The collision occured on Cranbury Neck Rd, near Nostrand Rd.  The collision involved 4 cars in all, 2 of them head on.  Captain 49 was the first on location and advised dispatch fluids on the roadway with one person still entrapped.  Chief 49 arrived on location shortly after and called for the next due rescue from Cranbury Station 48.  Engine 49-1 arrived and the crew immediately went to work securing the vehicles and began extrication efforts.  The crews from Cranbury Engine 48-1 and Engine 49-1 removed a section of the A post, and the B post to gain access to the patient. While crews were working to free the patient the Chief called for a Medivac helicopter to respond.  A landing zone was setup and shortly after the patient was extricated and tended to by paramedics. The patient was transported to the helicopter and flown to Capital Health at Fuld in Trenton with serious injuries.   Units were on location for an extended period of time while the vehicles were removed from the roadway.  Units on scene were, Chief 49, Deputy 49, Engine 49-1, Ambulance 166 PPPL,  Rescue 49, Engine 49, Utility 49, Chief 48 Cranbury, Cranbury Engine 48-1, Engine 66 PPPL, Plainsboro Police, Plainsboro Rescue Squad, Paramedics, and NJ State Police Medivac Helicopter.

On Sunday June 7, 2009 at 1948 hrs the fire company responded to 240 Hampshire Drive for a vehicle into a townhouse.  Prior to the arrival of the first due, the vehicle was removed and in a parking spot.  Engine 49-1 arrived on location and secured power to the kitchen.  The townhouse sustained moderate structural damage, and the construction official was notified.  Crews stabilized the structure, and awaited the arrival of the construction official.  Units that responded, Chief 49, Engine 49, Engine 49-1, Rescue 49, Utility 49 with the Special Operations Trailer, Plainsboro Police and Plainsboro Rescue Squad.   

After the fire company meeting on Tuesday June 2, 2009 the tones went off for a  dumpster fire around 8:40pm.  The fire was reported near 2100 Ravens Crest Drive.  Chief 49 arrived on location and confirmed a well involved dumpster with no exposures.  Engine 49-1 arrived on location, extinguished the fire and completed overhaul.  Units on location were Chief 49, Engine 49-1, Engine 49, and the Plainsboro Police. 

On Sunday May 17th the fire company was dispatched to 69B Edgemere Ave for a reported smoke condition.  Units arrived to find smoke coming from the chimney and the bilco doors of the basement.  Crews from Ladder 49 located fire in the floor joists between, the basement and first floor.  The fire was quickly extinguished, and overhaul began to clear smoke from the structure.  The fire marshal was called to the scene to investigate and the utilites were secured by PSE&G electric and gas.  Units that responded were Plainsboro Police, Chief 49, Deputy 49, Ladder 49, Engine 49, Engine 66 P.P.P.L., Cranbury Tower 48, and Kingston Engine 24 covered Station 49.

A 4 vehicle crash occurred Saturday May 2, 2009 at the intersection of Scudders Mill Rd. at Schalks Crossing.  The crash happened at approximately 1130hrs and sent 2 people to the hospital with non life threatening injuries.  Two lanes going west bound on Scudders Mill Rd. were closed for an extended period, along with one lane blocked on the east bound side to allow crews to operate safely.  Crews remained on scene for a while to clean up the roadway and for the vehicles to be removed.  Units that responded, Plainsboro Police, Chief 49, Deputy 49, Engine 49-1, Rescue 49, Utility 49, and Plainsboro EMS. 

Around 10pm Wednesday night April 29, 2009 the fire company was dispatched to a possible chimney fire in Aspen Drive.  Chief 49 arrived on location of building 6 Aspen and confirmed a small chimney fire from a 3 1/2 story multiple family wood frame dwelling.  The fire was extinguished and crews were on location for a short period of time for overhaul and ventilation.  Units that responded, Plainsboro Police, Chief 49, Engine 49, Ladder 49, Tower 49 and the Plainsboro Rescue Squad .

During the busy rush hour of Friday April 24, 2009 the fire company responded to a multiple vehicle crash on Route 1 North near College Rd.  The chain reaction collision occurred when a Ford pickup truck slammed into the back of car stopped for traffic near College Rd. East.  The impact of the crash caused 4 other rear-end collisions.  Four cars were severely damaged in all.  Route 1 north and the entrance ramp from Scudders Mill road were temporarily closed for the accident investigation and to remove the vehicles from the roadway.  Two drivers were transported to the hospital with non life threatening injuries.  Units that responded were Plainsboro Police, Princeton Plasma Physics EMS, Plainsboro EMS, Rescue 49, Engine 49-1, Engine 49, and Brush 49.

On Friday April 10, 2009 the fire company was dispatched to a 2 vehicle crash, SUV vs. moving truck.  The accident took place at approximately 1137 hours and occured at the intersection of Plainsboro Rd. and Scudders Mill Rd. Engine 49-1 arrived to find 1 patient entrapped in the SUV and 2 patients in the moving truck.  The crew from Engine 49-1 stabilized the SUV and removed the drivers side door.  Rescue 49 and Utility 49 arrived and assisted EMS crews with patient care.  In all 3 people were transported to the hospital.  Crews stood by until the vehicles were removed from the roadway.  Units on scene, Plainsboro Police, Engine 49-1, Rescue 49, Utility 49, Plainsboro Township EMS, Princeton Plasma Emergency Services, West Windsor Emergency Services

Our condolences go out to the members of Trenton Fire Department, the family and friends of firefighter Manny Rivera.  He is a true hero and will not be forgotten.

On Sunday evening February 1, 2009 the fire company was dispatched for the report of a 2 vehicle crash at the intersection of Cranbury Neck and Grovers Mill Road. Chief 49 arrived on location first and relayed to all incoming units, their job assignments.  Engine 49-1 arrived on location first and began stablizing the vehicles and securing the batteries.  Meanwhile the next arriving unit, Rescue 49 went to work removing the door and roof of the van.  Units remained on location until all patients were removed from the vehicles and the vehicles removed from the roadway.  Units that responded, Chief 49, Engine 49-1, Rescue 49, Brush 49, Engine 49, Plainsboro EMS, P.P.P.L. Ambulance 166 and Plainsboro Police.

On Saturday January 31, 2009 the fire company was dispatched for a report of a motor vehicle that crashed into a house.  The driver of the vehicle was in need of medical attention.  As EMS crews were putting together a plan to extricate the patient, crews from Ladder 49 went to work, securing electric and gas to the home. PSE&G was called out to the scene as a precaution and the construction official was notified to respond.  After the construction official deemed the house structurally sound, crews began to assist in covering up the hole left after the vehicle was removed. Units remained on location for a short while assisting the residents with clean up.  Units that responded, Chief 49, Ladder 49, Rescue 49, Engine 49-1, Utility 49 with trailer 49, Plainsboro EMS, and the Plainsboro Police.

The Plainsboro Fire Company was dispatched on Thursday January 8, 2009 at approximately 2130 hrs to a mutual aid house fire in Princeton.  Deputy 63 from Princeton had arrived on location, and reported nothing showing.  As he began his size up he quickly determined there to be heavy fire and smoke coming from the lower level of the 2 story split level dwelling.  The first alarm was struck, sending in additional units and Ladder 49.  Ladder 49 responded with a full crew, and while on their way to the scene Rescue 49 was requested for more man power.  Both crews from each apparatus worked with Princeton and numerous other fire companies to bring the fire under control.  All fire companies were on location for an extended period of time.  Eventually the crews from Ladder 49 and Rescue 49 were released by command and returned to quarters early Friday morning January 9.   All pictures used in this article are courtesy of www.njfirefighters.com and with permisson from Dennis.

On Saturday afternoon January 3rd, 2009 the fire company was dispatched initially for an engine to respond to a working fire in Cranbury.  Before an engine could make it's way to the scene the fire company was redispatched for a RIT assignment only.  Rescue 49 responded into Cranbury and stood by as the RIT team until released by command.  All of the pictures used in this article are courtesy of Dennis from www.njfirefighters.com   

On Saturday morning January 3, 2009 the Plainsboro Fire Company was dispatched for an ice rescue assignment on Pond View Drive. 

The following information is from the Princeton Packet Online and credit for the information in the article goes to the staff writer Kristine Snodgrass.

PLAINSBORO: Effort to save dog leads to drowning

Monday, January 5, 2009 7:28 PM EST

By Kristine Snodgrass, Staff Writer






   PLAINSBORO — A township resident drowned Saturday morning after falling through the ice while trying to save her dog from Plainsboro Pond, police said.

   Janet Howard, 61, was walking her dog near her Edgemere Avenue home around 10:30 a.m. when she apparently went after it when it wandered onto the ice. Police believe the ice broke underneath her weight about 25 feet from the shore.

   In the area, the pond is bordered by a 25-foot-wide strip of ice along the shoreline.

   A passerby, Austin Hearn, 31, of Fox Run Drive, called police after he attempted to save Ms. Howard, an acquisitions supervisor for Rutgers University libraries.

   When police arrived, Mr. Hearn showed police to a path he had broken in the ice from the shoreline to the open water in an attempt to save the woman. He pointed to where he had last seen her.

 

   The dog managed to escape and ran home during the rescue efforts.

   But police were unable to locate Ms. Howard. In an attempt to locate her in the murky water, Plainsboro Police Sgt. Joseph Duffy had waded into the pond, searching the area with his feet. He was unable to locate her so he went underwater and felt the bottom of the pond with his hands. Again, he found nothing.

   Patrolman Joseph Breyta and Patrolman Joseph Diggs then arrived on the scene with flotation rings and rope. Tethered by the rope, Sgt. Duffy went underwater and searched the area with his hands, but could find nothing in the opaque water.

   Under the direction of Plainsboro Township Fire Department Chief Doug Vorp, Lt. Roy Wagner and firefighters Andrew Gormish and Ron Sost entered the pond wearing cold-water dry suits.

   Mr. Sost located the victim about 25 feet from the shoreline. She was brought to the shore by firefighters, and CPR and defibrillation was initiated immediately.

   Despite the efforts, Ms. Howard was pronounced dead after she was transported to Princeton Medical Center.

The direct link to this article can be found at:  http://centraljersey.com/articles/2009/01/06/the_princeton_packet/news/doc4962a166ec41d110066435.txt