Munhall Volunteer Fire Company #4

Earlier today — 8 of our members attended a presentation by FDNY Chief Frank Leeb on the Cornerstones of Leadership, On and Off the Fireground. Chief Leeb has 40+ years of experience in the fire service, including a 30+ year career in the FDNY, rising to the rank of Deputy Assistant Chief.

Cornerstones of Leadership

It has been a busy week for acting 203 Engine already running multiple calls for service, including a couple possible fires.

Thank you to our friends at New Kensington Bureau of Fire for loaning us a reserve engine while ours is out of service for pump repairs. This beauty will be acting as 203 Engine until further notice, so don’t be surprised if you see it responding around town.

Last evening — 203 Rescue responded into the Borough of Homestead for a multi vehicle crash with multiple patients trapped. Crews from 171, 203, and 292 worked alongside local ems agencies to extricate a total of 3 patients.

Our crews are busy responding to over a dozen calls throughout the borough due to the storms this evening. Please have patience as our crews work to catch up on the numerous incidents.

Last evening — The Rescue Company trained on setting up and working off of our tripod for confined space rescue, which includes a pre-rigged 4:1 pulley system. Crews also reviewed some basic rigging and our MPDs and Capto devices as well.

203 Engine moved up into Station 180 while they operate on a house fire in their first due.

Munhall Borough is opening a cooling center at noon today due to excessive heat. See below for more information.

Overnight — 203 Rescue responded into the City of McKeesport on the 2nd alarm assignment for multiple houses on fire. 203 Rescue personnel were reassigned to fire suppression upon arrival and worked on scene for several hours before returning in service.

203 Engine handled a vehicle fire in the 4500 BLK of Main Street earlier this afternoon. The fire was quickly extinguished and there were no injuries.

Donate to Support Firefighter Chris Neal in honoring Abby's life., organized by Nicholas Sohyda The Mt. Lebanon Fire Department is devastated by the recent lo… Nicholas Sohyda needs your support for Support Firefighter Chris Neal in honoring Abby's life.

Munhall VFC #4 is excited to announce that we have been selected by 93.7 The Fan to participate in their “5 Alarm Marathon” fundraiser this week on June 6th and 7th. This fundraiser aims to support local volunteer fire departments across the region.

We appreciate the support and thank 93.7 The Fan for allowing us to be a part of this event. To donate, follow the link below and be sure to tune in to 93.7 later this week!

https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=HKJTSLAVF5WU2

Stop by and see us on Main Street until 9:00 PM!

Fresh clean for the Rescue Company 😮‍💨

203 Squad on a traffic detail for the annual Girls on the Run race at the Waterfront this morning. Great job to all those who participated!

Last week — A few of our members took some time to wash the dirt and mud off of the new playing surface at Trautman Park and while doing so, had some help from a handful of future firefighters!

If you didn’t know, we accept junior members at the age of 15. Contact us today for more information!

Preview of some of the items available to win tonight! See you at Munhall V.F.C. #4 Fundraiser at The Pizza Company Draft House

Last evening — We hosted Peoples Natural Gas for their Natural Gas Emergencies class. Thank you to People’s for coming out to train our firefighters as we regularly run inside/outside gas odors and leaks as well as carbon monoxide related incidents.

Munhall Volunteer Fire Co. # 1 and Munhall Central Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company, Inc. were also in attendance.

Remember - Never hesitate calling 911 if you have a gas leak, an odor of gas, or a CO alarm is going off.

We recently placed a brand new RIT Pack in service on 203 Engine as a result of the MAYDAY incident that injured two of our members earlier this year. It will serve as a lifeline for our firefighters as they are often times operating on scene prior to the arrival of a dedicated Rapid Intervention Team.

This piece of equipment will ensure our firefighters have what they need to initiate rescue operations in the event of a downed firefighter in the early stages of a building fire. Soon — We will have visible “RIT” markings on the outside of the compartment door where the RIT Pack is located to prevent confusion in the event of a MAYDAY situation.

Some heavy lifting for the Rescue Company last evening using our Paratech Fire & Rescue Equipment bipod kit as a gantry, griphoist, and come along. Rescue 203 is well equipped to handle a wide variety of incidents and our members continually train to ensure they’re ready to handle them.

203 Rescue responded into the City of McKeesport last evening on the 2nd alarm assignment for a vacant house on fire. 203RQ operated as the RIT and remained on scene for several hours before being released by command.

Earlier this morning — 203 Chief, 203 Lieutenant, and 171 Captain gave a presentation to the Mod 3 and Mod 4 classes at the Allegheny County Fire Academy about their experience during a MAYDAY incident that occurred in the early stages of a house fire in the Borough of Homestead earlier this year.

We believe it is imperative to use this incident as a learning opportunity for the next generation of firefighters, as well as current firefighters, as this could happen to anyone at any time. We’d like to thank Instructors Baselj, Stack, and Craig for allowing us the opportunity and hope each and every student took something meaningful away from it.

To find out more information on the MAYDAY itself, please refer to our previous post which includes a full narrative as well as additional pictures.

Firefighter Close Calls - Home of The Secret List

Did you know April is National Volunteer Month?

During , we’d like to take a moment to recognize our dedicated members who serve our community, some for more than 50 years.

Since 1906 — Munhall VFC #4 has a rich history of providing fire and rescue services to the steel valley region and beyond in a 100% volunteer capacity.

Interested in giving back and making a difference in your community while developing a new set of skills and gaining practical experience?

Apply today!

On the morning of Saturday, January 20th, 2024 at 9:28am, 203 units were dispatched to the area of E 17th Ave @ McClure St in the borough of Homestead for a reported house on fire. Shortly after dispatch, Allegheny County 911 updated a working fire. 203 Engine called en route with 4 firefighters and would arrive as the first due engine. Crews from 203 stretched a 300’ handline from 203 engine anticipating what appeared to be an attic fire. Upon forcing entry through the front door, crews encountered heavy fire conditions on the first floor. An initial attack was made on the fire on the first floor and crews began advancing the hose line inside to continue fire attack. While attempting to locate the stairs to the second floor, it was determined that the stairs were burned through and access could not be made via the interior stairs.

At this point, a crew from 171 truck met up with the engine crew (3 from 203, 1 from 201) on the first floor and began opening up. Shortly thereafter, the nozzleman from 203 engine fell through a hole in the first floor and into the basement.

A MAYDAY was called by 171 Captain and rescue efforts ensued. While in the process of attempting to gain access to the downed firefighter in the basement, a 2nd firefighter from 203 fell in to the basement with the initial firefighter. The initial crews from 171, 203, and 201 continued suppression efforts while also working on evacuating the firefighters from the basement. A folding attic ladder was placed in the hole and the original firefighter from 203 was able to exit the hole via the ladder with the assistance of the 2nd firefighter in the basement and the crews still on the first floor. The 2nd firefighter was able to exit the basement via the ladder under his own power.

During the process, the 2 firefighters from 203 suffered minor burns to the neck, lower back, and abdomen as well as minor bumps and bruises, while a firefighter from 171 sustained an injury to his arm. All 3 firefighters were transported to area hospitals for evaluation were subsequently released a little while later.

2 other firefighters sustained minor injuries unrelated to the MAYDAY.

We’d like extend our sincerest gratitude to everyone who has expressed concern, thoughts, and prayers.

As temperatures start to get colder, please keep these safety tips in mind when using any kind of space heater in your home. And as always, make sure you have working smoke detectors — they save lives.

203 Engine responded with 5 to the 200 BLK of E. 17th Avenue in Homestead for a reported house on fire. 203E arrived as the first due engine company with smoke showing from the 2nd division and placed a line in service, quickly extinguishing the fire in the front bedroom. The fire was contained to the room of origin and the cause is currently under investigation by the ACFM Office.

203 Rescue responded for a report of a vehicle into a structure. Upon arrival, crews found a vehicle through a load bearing wall with the occupants still inside, uninjured. 203 Rescue crews assisted the driver and passenger out of the vehicle and placed two Paratech Fire & Rescue Equipment Longshores struts into place for initial stabilization. Once the vehicle was removed, a wood shore was placed utilizing Ellis Screw Jacks. 775 Chief, 775 Deputy, 200 Attack, and 201 Engine were also on scene and assisted.

203 Engine responded with 5 to the 100 BLK of E. 18th Avenue in Munhall for a reported apartment on fire earlier today. 203E arrived as the first due engine company and quickly stretched a line conducting fire attack on the first division. The fire was held to the area of origin and is currently under investigation by the ACFM Office. Two dogs were also rescued by 203 members and are thankfully in good condition.