Congratulations to Terry Kreer for winning the $20 gift certificate to Play It Again Sports at Gunter Park Opening Day for the Marydel/Hartly Little League.  Mrs. Kreer entered the drawing held at the Recruitment Table sponsored by the Hartly Volunteer Fire Company. The gift certificate was donated and presented to Mrs. Kreer by the Personnel Director, Deanna Jackson. We want to thank everyone who stopped by our table.  If anyone is interested in joining the Hartly Volunteer Fire Company, please contact the station at 302-492-3677 to request an application. 

Minutes after midnight, the town folk of Main St. activated the 911 system for a MVC in front of the Post Office. Command (Chief Morris) arrived to find a SUV travelled off the road and through a porch to finally rest on a stump. Engine 51-3 (Asst. Chief Norris w/6) arrived and assisted with patient care. Crew from Rescue 51-6 (Asst. Chief Kelly w/5) secured the vehicle and assessed the structure that had been hit. Fire Police and Brush 51-9 (Capt Ballek w/2) shut down Main St. until the patient was transported via Ambulance A-51 to KGH for facial injuries. Command placed the situation under control leaving fire police on scene to assist DSP. The last fire unit cleared at 00:33.

Units on Scene: Command, E-3, R-6, BR-9, Amb. A-51, Fire Police, DSP.

As the sky filled with the smoke from Clearfield Apartments in Dover, Station 51 was alerted for one engine to stand by at Dover Station 1. Within minutes Engine 51-3 (Asst. Chief Norris w/5) responded. After about 20 minutes at Station 1, Engine 3 was called in along with Engine 43-3 (Cheswold) to assist crews working at the 2 alarm apartment fire. Engine 3's crew was assigned to the rear apartment on division 3 to extinguish the remaining fire . Capt. Ballek and Lt. Moriarty also took a line through a small access into the attic to supress the remaining fire that continued to burn overhead, along with crews from Dover, Cheswold, and Little Creek. Crews assisted with overhaul and a final search on the 3rd floor finding negative results. Engine 3 was cleared by command at 18:59 hours. For full story and pictures, visit DFD website listed below, or search Delaware State New and the News Journal.

Hartly's Volunteers were alerted for a MVC on Pearsons Corner Rd shortly after 2 PM. Moments after dispatch, Command (Chief Morris) and Engine 51-3 (Dep. Chief Connors w/ 6) responded and were advised of a single vehicle overturned with one patient. Crews secured the vehicle and assisted EMS crew with patient care. One patient was transported via Ambulance A-51 to KGH with an arm injury. Command placed the sitaution under control and the last unit cleared at 14:48 hours. 

Units on Scene: Command, E-3, R-6, Fire Police, Ambulance A-51, DSP.  

A little after 1300 hours, 51-34 (FP Tom Maguire) notified Kent Center of yet another Fuel Spill in front of Dover Scrap Metal on Hartly Rd. Command 51 (Asst. Chief Norris) responded a minute after and was advised of 250 gallon tank that was leaking fuel just off the roadway in front of the scrap yard. Command arrived to find the 250 gallon oil tank had fallen out of the back of a pick up and was leaking heating fuel on the roadway. Members from the Scrap Yard had thrown stay dry down to absorb the approximately 2 gallons of fuel that had spilled. Crew from Engine 51-3 (Crew Leader Swartzentruber w/5) patched the hole in the back of the tank and capped off the spout in the front. A fork lift from Dover Scrap Metal was used to load the tank back in the pickup truck which was then secured so it would not fall out again. The owner was advised to contact DNREC in reference to proper disposal procedures. Command placed the situation under control and the last unit cleared at 13:53 hours.

Units on Scene: Command, E51-3, Fire Police, 51-15, & 51-16

In the early afternoon, Stations 51, 43 (Cheswold), and Tanker Company 44 (Smyrna) were alerted for a shed fire. Shortly after, Engines 51-3 (Asst. Chief Norris w/5), 44-3, and 43-2 (Asst. Chief Dempsey w/5) responded and were given a report of a single shed on fire at the rear of the residence. Upon arrival, crews found what once was a 10x20 shed that had burned into a debris pile. One 1-3/4" hand line was pulled to extinguish the pile and the situation was placed under control holding the response to 51-3, 43-2, and Telesquirt 51-7 (Dep. Chief Connors w/4). Scene was turned over to FM28 (R. Brode) and FM19 (B. Billings) and the last unit cleared at 13:34.

Units On Scene: E51-3, TS51-7, E43-2 Fire Police, FM 28, FM 19.
Units Cancelled: E 44-3, T44, R43.

Just before 14:30, Stations 51 and 56 (Marydel) were alerted for a house fire on Brittney Ln. Chief Morris responded in his POV followed shortly by Engine 51-3 (Asst. Chief Norris w/ 5). Kent Center advised of a fire in the dryer that the homeowner believed to be out. Chief Morris arrived to find smoke coming from the rear of the residence. Assuming command, Chief Morris requested Tac4 operations channel and instructed Engine 3 to pull a line to the rear of the residence. Station 41 (Camden-Wyoming) was alerted to replace units that hadn't responded yet. Engine 3 arrived and deployed one 1-3/4" handline and found fire in the utility room. Engine 3's crew quickly suppressed the fire and began checking for extension. Crews from remaining 51 and 56 units assisted with the minor overhaul and venitilating the structure and 41 was cancelled. Command placed the situation under control at 14:42. The last unit cleared at 15:16 turning the scene over to FM28 (R. Brode)

Units on Scene: E51-3, E51-5, T-51, E56-1, T-56, Fire Police, FM28.

Just after 8 PM, Hartly's Volunteers were dispatched to assist Station 56 (Marydel) with an unknown type of fire burning outside on Lepore Rd. Engine 51-3 (Asst. Chief Norris w/ 6) and Tanker 51 (Crew Leader Fox w/ 4) were cancelled from the call just prior to arriving. While returning Kent Center notified Command of an MVC on Mahan Corner Rd with a report of two subjects trapped. Engine 3 was placed on the call and was the first to arrive, finding two vehicles off the roadway with heavy intrusion to the passenger compartment of one vehicle. Engine 3's crew passed command to Rescue 56-3 and began to assess the scene finding two patients unconscious in the first car, and two patients with minor injuries in a pickup truck approximately 75' away.

Asst. Chief Melvin (56-17) assumed command while crews began to extricate the two patients from the car. The patients were extricated within 15 minutes and crews worked both patients until paramedics arrived and eventually pronounced them. Caroline County Paramedic 17 and Ambulance C-51 transported the patients from the pick up truck. Engine 3 cleared at 21:13 hours.

51 Units on Scene: E51-3, 51-16 (Dep. Chief Connors), Fire Police.

In the late evening, Station 51 was alerted to assist Station 56 (Marydel) with a house fire. Moments after, Engine 51-3 responded with Asst. Chief Norris and a crew of 5. Kent Center advised responding units of a fire reported in the chimney with smoke in the residence. Chief Madden (56-15) assumed command and instructed Engine 3's crew to assist  Engine 56-1 inside the structure. Telesquirt 51-7 (Asst. Chief Kelly w/ crew of 3) arrived and was placed at the Bravo side of the structure extended the ladder to the chimney. Interior crews cleaned out the wood stove and roof division utilized the chimney sweep to break through soot and debris that had developed in the chimney over the years. Crews then used dry-chem bags to suppress the fire left in the chimney. Finally, all of the remaining ash and debris was cleaned from the chimney by the crew in the basement. Command placed the situation under control and the last 51 unit cleared at 20:34 hours.

51 Units on Scene: E-3, T-51, TS-7, Fire Police.

Ask anyone around Hartly and they'll tell you, if you have a question regarding home improvement, plumbing, landscaping, animal feed, animal health, farming or gardening, to "Go ask Dave!" If that day arose where your handyman cap didn't fit properly, you could always go to see Dave Brown and his staff at the Hartly Feed and Hardware Store. They would always greet customers with a smile and give their best advice, even if it meant shopping somewhere else. Sadly, Saturday morning, a room and contents fire caused damage to the store that will require it to close for what we hope to be a short period of time.

Crews were on scene Saturday morning for two hours extinguishing a fire in the front room of the building, and checking for extension. After crews cleared the scene and put all equipment back in service, 15 members went back out to the store and helped Dave and his father board up the windows and doors in the store. Members stayed for about an hour and a half until all windows and the two front doors were boarded up. I'm sure we speak for the rest of the town by wishing Dave a speedy rebuilding process. We can't wait to have you up and running again.