| Late in the afternoon on July 4th, a severe thunderstorm passed through the area triggering alarms and electrical problems throughout Banksville and backcountry Greenwich. A second storm struck the area that evening, and at 23:08 hours Tanker 7, Tanker 17 and Engine 157 were dispatched mutual aid to Armonk for a working structure fire, later determined to be caused by a lighting strike. The Banksville tankers participated in a shuttle operation along with tankers from Bedford Hills, Pound Ridge, Katonah and Pleasantville. Engine 157 laid it's entire 4,500 feet of 5-inch hose and an engine from Chappequa completed the over 6,000 foot lay. Engine 157 established draft from a dry hydrant, and the Chappequa engine, along with an engine from Bedford Hills relayed to the scene. Other mutual aid units working at the scene included Mount Kisco and North White Plains. Firefighters remained on scene until after 06:00 hours the following morning.
Another severe thunderstorm struck the area on the afternoon of July 15th, again resulting in a number of alarms and downed power lines. That evening at 19:08, BIFD units were dispatched to a reported structure fire on East Middle Patent Road. With the caller reporting smoke and fire visible from the exterior of the building, Car 2581 immediately requested tankers from Armonk and Pound Ridge, as well as an Engine from Bedford be dispatched. Upon arrival, 2581 confirmed a working structure fire and requested the balance of the 10-75 assignment bringing the Mount Kisco FAST and Armonk Ambulance to the scene, and an engine from Round Hill (Greenwich, CT) was relocated to the Banksville station. The crew from Engine 158 began the initial attack, while Engine 157 located at the pond next to the home and set-up to draft. Two 1 3/4 lines were stretched and firefighters made a quick knockdown.
At 15:53 on July 18, BIFD was dispatched to a reported motor vehicle accident on Bedford-Banksville Road. Upon arrival, firefighters were faced with a head-on collision and 5 patients - including 3 children - in need of care. Two ambulances from Armonk and a mutual aid ambulance from Greenwich EMS responded to the scene. At the same time, Greenwich also received a call of a motor vehicle accident on North Street at the state line. After it was determined that call was one and the same as the call BIFD had, Greenwich Engine 8 responded mutual aid to the scene and provided assistance.
In other recent news, on July 13th, BIFD partiicpated in the annual Mount Kisco Fire Department parade, and Tanker 7 brought home a trophy for best appearing tanker!
In recognition of recently completing Firefighter 1, BIFD Firefighters Tom Costabile and Steven Barker participated in the Firefighter 1 graduation ceromony conducted at the Westchester County Fire Training Center on July 19th. Congratulations Tom and Steven!
On July 21st, firefighters from neighboring departments in Westchester, Greenwich and Stamford attended the "wet-down" ceromony for Tanker 7. The celebration became a true "wet-down" when Past Mount Kisco Chief Mike Boles suddenly arrived in an Mount Kisco engine, opened up the deck gun on Tanker 7, and then made a quick get-away. |
