It was in the early morning hours on Tuesday, Dec. 12 when an alarm rang in the Fort Detrick Fire Department. Frederick County Fire and Rescue Services was requesting help with a reported 3- story building fire with possible entrapment in downtown Frederick, Md. As done many times before, Truck 50 quickly headed out the gate to assist.
Upon arrival, Fort Detrick personnel assisted in a wide variety of fireground tasks to include ventilation, fire extinguishment, lighting, and overhaul according to Fort Detrick Deputy Fire Chief, Jeremy Reebok, who himself was assigned as the Division 3 Supervisor under Incident Command to oversee operations on the fire floor.
The building was comprised of a large, vacant house occupied by transient personnel. Frederick County rescued three adults, with one person transported to Frederick Health Hospital for minor injuries and two personnel left the scene on their own, without receiving care.
Since 2011, the installation and Frederick and Montgomery counties have proactive mutual agreements in place. Since its inception, the number of calls for support have grown. On average the Fort Detrick and Forest Glen Fire Departments now responds to 1,100 calls per year on the installation and in Frederick and Silver Spring.
“We have a very good relationship with our external partners through various collaborative efforts. Mutual aid is critical for fire and rescue services because it fosters collaboration among agencies and enables a coordinated and scalable response to emergencies, pooling diverse resources, personnel, and expertise to effectively manage complex incidents to enhance public safety and mitigate risks. We are very fortunate to have such a reliable and profound relationship with our mutual aid partners as resources are shared on a daily basis to make the mission possible”, said Rebok.
In a press release issued by the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, it took 75 firefighters, with 27 pieces of fire apparatus, approximately 27 minutes to extinguish the fire.
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