The 1st Saturday in August is becoming known for the Liberty Fire Car Show in the New Holland area. This year is no different and with each passing year the event grows larger.

This year's events include

• Car's, Antique Tractors, Big Rigs and Motorcycles on display
• Muffler Rapping Contest
• Burnout Competition (sponsored by Sauder Tire)
• Truck Tug-O-War
• Petal Pulls for the kids
• Trophy for peoples choice
• Trophy for firefighters choice
• Plaque for car club with most vehicles
• Dash plaques for first 200 cars registered
• Many door prizes (Snap-On) (PPG) (COLOURS)(Zimmerman Auto) etc.
• DJ playing all your favorite oldies and car tunes
• Lots of great food
• A chance at $1,000 off the price of a new vehicle at New Holland Auto Group, John Sauders Chevrolet, or Turner Buick Pontiac GMC Truck - or $500 in cash

The event kicks off at 4pm and runs until 8pm on Saturday August 7th on the Grounds of Case New Holland (CNH) @ 500 Diller Ave. Rain date for the event is Sunday August 8th.

Registration is $8 to pre register or $10 the day of the show.

We hope to see you all there for this great event!

This morning, Engine 3-9-1, Truck 3-9 and the Rescue responded to E. Broad St. for the outside gas leak. Construction crews working in the area struck a UGI gas line and had an active leak for about an hour until UGI could secure the line. Crews taped the area off and evacuated several near by residents' for a short time.

In the evening, after some minor storms rolled through Hose 3-9 was sent for the trees & wires on Overlys Grove Rd. It remained there for 3 hours awaiting a PPL crew.

Moments after the Hose was dispatched, Engine 3-9-1, Rescue 3-9 and EMS were dispatched to Yoder's Country Market for the child locked in a vehicle. The engine crew popped the lock and Rescue 3-9 was recalled.

Training then began at Goods Furniture Warehouse behind the New Holland Shopping Center. Tonight officers reviewed the basic set-up of Truck 3-9. Not only how it is set up but why it is done that way so newer members have a true understanding rather than going through the motions. Training was cut short due to heavy rain and lightening in the area.

After training was over, fire police assisted NHPD with a disabled vehicle on W. Main St.

Today members from New Holland and Terre Hill finished up a 16 hour Engine Company Operations class. Members spent Saturday morning at the Lanc. Co. Public Safety Training Center doing standpipe evolutions, advancing lines to upper floors and setting up an Engine for both a fill site and a dump site for rural water movement. After the evolutions were complete everyone traveled back to New Holland to utilize the old Goods Furniture Warehouse which is now empty. Crews finished up the day with deploying Leader lines, long lines and extending lines deep into large structures. 

Thank You to Instructors Kirkpatrick, Chenworth & Hess for a great class.

While members were at training the house fire assignment was dispatched to Cypress Ln in New Holland Borough. Chief officers arrived on scene with nothing showing. Upon further investigation a faulty washing machine was found to be the source of the smoke. The incident was scaled back to 1 & 1 and crews removed the washer.  The incident was cleared in a half an hour.

Also throughout the day the volunteers assisted New Holland EMS on 2 separate cardiac arrest calls.

Minutes before 5pm Engines 3-9-1, 3-9-2 & Rescue 3-9 along with EMS were dispatched to Shirk Rd. & Peters Rd. for the vehicle accident with reported entrapment. Chief officers arrived and confirmed one SUV on its roof with all patients out. The crew from Engine 3-9-1 began de-energizing the vehicles while the crews from Rescue 3-9 and EMS units began to triage the patients.

Due to the location of the crash and amount of traffic Station 3-1 (Bareville) was dispatched for an engine and fire police to assist at the scene also. 

Crews cleared the scene in just under 1 hour.

New Holland volunteers answered 3 calls of Service this week. On Monday volunteers were dispatched to assist station 3-1(Bareville) on a reported House Fire. LCWC reported a fire on the stove. Deputy 3-9 arrived to find Normal conditions reporting the fire to be out. The Box was held to station 3-1.  Thursday evening Station 3-9 responded to a Spill Control. Units arrived to find a car that was leaking oil. Volunteers provided hazard control. This morning at 09:50 fire police were dispatched for Traffic Control from a MVC. Squad 3-9 also provided Spill Control.

Yet again, Lancaster County was targeted by mother nature with more potent storms reeking havoc on the area. With the threat of storms quickly becoming a reality, area fire departments began running service calls, investigations, and lightening strikes. As the violent cold front swept through New Holland it knocked out Power to the entire western half of town. The power outage triggered an alarm at the Ritz on Main. Engine 3-9-1 responded non emergency to check the building out. After doing a walk through it was determined that no fire services were needed.

As the Engine was returning, Truck 3-9 was dispatched along with the rest of the first alarm assignment to a reported house on fire from a lightening strike along Rt. 897 in Fivepointville (sta. 3-14). Additional info given to responding units was a basement fire. Chief 3-3-2 (leinbach) arrived and confirmed a working basement fire. As crews from Fivepointville, Bowmansville (3-3) and Terre Hill (3-12)  began fire attack, several more tankers were dispatched to assist the tankers from Fivepointville and Martindale (3-10) which were already on scene.

Truck 3-9 arrived, placed several ground ladders and was sent to begin salvage operations. The crew began tarping furniture on the first floor due to the possibility of fire traveling through the walls to the 2nd floor. As conditions improved in the basement, conditions on the 2nd floor began to deteriorate and lines were advanced to the 2nd floor. The truck crew split and prepared for the possibility of venting the roof while the rest of the crew grabbed hooks and assisted other crews in checking for possible fire extension. After much searching it was determined there was none and crews vented the structure.

Air 3-9 also assisted on the scene filling 24 cylinders. Both units cleared in under 2 hours.

While the Truck and Air operated at the house fire, Fire Police were sent to all the traffic lights in town to assist during the power outage.

Several members have been attending a Basic Vehicle Rescue series hosted by the White Horse Fire Company (Sta. 4-4) for several months. Today was their practical skills final for the class. Rescue 3-9 was asked to be in attendance to aid the students with vast amount of equipment that would be needed for them to successfully complete their  skills. 

Also during the day, Engine 3-9-1 Traveled to HACC with 6 members to attend a "Fire Attack at Basement Fires" class. Students reviewed types of below grade spaces, firefighting strategies and tactics, and safety concerns while operating at below grade fires. After the class sessions the students spent the rest of the day doing "run-ins" on actual below grade fires in the Class "A" burn building.

While both training sessions were going on, Engine 3-9-2 and Truck 3-9 traveled to Blue Ball to attend the celebration and parade for the Housing of  Tanker 3-2. Housing's are a long fire service tradition dating back to the days of horse drawn fire apparatus where the community would gather and celebrate the arrival and the firemen would push it into the building. Apparatus weighs a bit more now, so reverse is the safe way to go but the tradition still lives.

Prior to the parade starting Engine 3-9-2 left for a reported brush fire on the west side of town but was recalled while en route.

At 19:10, while members were being briefed on company level training "vehicle fires", Engine 3-9-1, Rescue 3-9, Ambulances 3-7-1, 3-7-2, 3-19-1, Medics 9 & 3 were dispatched to a vehicle accident with three injuries on East Spruce St. Deputy 3-9 arrived on scene and reported one vehicle into a pole with two down on the roadway and one walking around the scene. Engine 391 preformed engine company functions and vehicle stabilization. Rescue 3-9 and Squad 3-9's crews provided patient care and packaging. Units where released by command and returned to the training site.

Training resumed at 20:00. Firefighters where divided up and maned apparatus for each scenario. Crews stretched handlines and forced entry into the trunk and engine compartment of each vehicle for fire suppression. It was a good training session for our firefighters to practice fire attack and pumping apparatus.

Special thanks to New Holland Concrete for use of their facility, New Holland EMS for stand-by and everyone how has donated vehicles to Liberty Fire Company so we can continue to sharpen our skills.

At 19:44 Engine 3-9-2, Rescue 3-9 and Truck 3-9 were dispatched with other mutual aid companies to assist Station 4-4 for a reported barn fire on Centerville Rd. Deputy 4-4 arrived on scene and reported smoke showing. Engine 3-9-2 pulled the bumper line and put a hit on the fire. Engine 4-4-1 & Truck 3-9 pulled ceilings as well as checked for extension. The fire was contained to a section of the wood shop. LFC units were released at 20:46.

Each year a different Lancaster County Fire Dept. hosts the annual Lancaster County Fireman's Convention. This year Bareville (Sta. 3-1) and Upper Leacock (Sta. 3-11) jointly hosted the convention in celebration of their 100th anniversary. The weekend started off on Friday evening at the Conestoga Church of the Brethren in Bareville with the annual awards and memorial service. Past member Paul Eberly was recognized during the service, with members present on his behalf.

Saturday morning started with the LCFA meeting, while parade judging began. Since the parade was so close to home this year, the members felt it only appropriate to show our support to our neighboring depts. and take all of our apparatus. Members spent many ours cleaning and polishing both the apparatus and the tools carried on them. This paid off for the members as we brought home 8 trophies from the event.

• Engine 3-9-1 3rd place - Engine 1990 - 1999
• Engine 3-9-2 3rd place - Engine 2000 - Present
• Rescue 3-9   3rd place - Best appearing Rescue
• Air 3-9             2nd Place - Best appearing special services unit
• Hose 3-9       1st place - Engine 1980 - 1989
• Truck 3-9       1st place - Best appearing Platform
• 1918 LaFrance - 1st. place - Best appearing FD owned motorized antique
• Also..... Best appearing Dept. overall - In County

Congratulations to all the members that have shown the pride and dedication it takes to be a volunteer!  Also congratulations to all the other award winners from the parade!

*Click on the story, for pictures.