December 29 - The Orange Volunteer Fire Company was sent to a vehicle fire just prior to midnight on Brick Church Rd. First arriving units found a passenger car with heavy smoke coming from the trunk area. The crew from Tanker 23 extinguished the blaze, confining most of the damage to the back seat and trunk of the car. The cause of the fire was probably faulty electrical wiring in the trunk.  Pics

Photos & Story by FF T. Melson

December 26 - Orange Volunteers responded to the sixteen-thousand block of Monrovia Rd. for a motor vehicle collision. Chief 23 arrived to find a single vehicle partially blocking the roadway. Crews from Engine and Salvage 23 removed debris from the road and established traffic control before being released by the VA State Police.  Pics.

Photos & Story by FF T. Melson

December 18 - Units arrived on Rt. 20 near Jones Mill Rd. to find this three-vehicle collision.  Personnel controlled the hazards and remained on-scene until VDOT arrived to spread sand over the highway.  Pictures.

Photos & Story by FF M. Yancey

November 27 - Orange Volunteers sent apparatus to a motor vehicle collision roughly one mile off of Constitution Highway on the misty Saturday evening. First arriving units found an SUV overturned just off of the road with minor injuries. Chief and Wagon 23 remained on scene to assist the VA State Police with traffic until the hazard was removed.

Photos & Story by FF T. Melson

November 25 - It wasn't a very happy Thanksgiving for the persons involved or employees of McDonald's after a small pick-up truck careened into the building shortly after 11:00 a.m.  Wagon 23's crew ensured no structural compromise and assisted with removal of the vehicle.  Only minor injures (from glass) were sustained by an employee; no transportation was required.  More Pics...

Photos & Story by FF M. Yancey

November 22 - The Orange Volunteers responded to a motor vehicle collision on Clifton Rd. at Leland Park just off of Constitution Hwy. First arriving units found a dump-truck overturned near the park entrance with no injuries or entrapment. The crews from Wagon and Salvage 23 remained on scene to assist with shoveling the corn out of the truck bed before the towing company could begin removing the hazard.  Pictures.

Photos & Story by FF T. Melson

November 10 - Units were dispatched to 116 Twyman Street in the eight o'clock hour on Wednesday morning.  First arriving Wagon 23 encountered a fire in the laundry room with little extension.  The crew knocked the fire and performed overhaul with other on-scene units.

November 8 - After using an abandoned house slated for demolition for training on RIT operations, search and rescue, and forcible entry, OVFC used it for the last time on Monday night for live fire evolutions then let it burn to the ground.  More Pics...

Photos & Story by FF M. Yancey

October 10 - Units were summoned to the area of Orange-Madison Co-op on James Madison Hwy. for a brush fire on Sunday afternoon.  As units approached, it could be determined that there was a little more happening than a routine brush fire.  Chief 23 went on the scene with a fire in the junk yard and reported trees, vehicles, and large piles of tires on fire.  Brush 23 was the first suppression unit on the scene but could do very little with what they had to work with.  Next in Tanker 23 established a water supply by connecting 4" to the hydrant at OMC and laid out to the entrance of the junk yard.  Crews from several units placed multiple handlines in-service as well as the Deluge Gun from K23 and used a combination of foam and water to contain the fire and control the extension.  Companies from Orange, Gordonsville, Barboursville, and OCRS as well as students attending the Firefighter I class operated at the scene for more than 5 hours.  Orange County Emergency Management was left in control of the scene to support Virginia DEQ and the clean-up contractor.  Pictures.

Photos & Story

by FF M. Yancey

October 1 - Volunteers from the Orange & Mine Run Volunteer Fire Companies responded to the True Blue area of Orange County for the report of a piece of farm machinery that was burning.  Firefighters arrived to find a half full corn dryer with fire on the interior.  Eventually, with the help of the farm owner and several tractors, the corn dryer was turned over and then upside down to empty the burning contents.  The corn dryer and its contents were a total loss.  Firefighters applied a total of 3000 gallons of water/foam mixture to extinguish this stubborn blaze.  Units that responded were Mine Run Wagon 21 & Tanker 21 and Orange Tanker 23.  Chief 21 was the incident commander.  Pics.

Photos by EMS 600 - Story by LT P. Fitch

September 28 - Orange Volunteers responded to the sixteen-thousand block of Monrovia Rd. for a motor vehicle collision. First arriving personnel discovered a single passenger car into a tree with one injury. Engine 23 assisted OCEMS with the patient, while Salvage 23 established traffic control.  Pics.

Photos & Story by FF T. Melson

September 26 - Orange Volunteers were dispatched to the fourteen-thousand block of Old Gordonsville Rd. for a motor vehicle collision. First arriving units found a single passenger car through a fence and into a field just past the Mountain Track Rd. intersection. Engine 23 assisted EMS and checked the vehicle. The patients narrowly escaped serious injury when a board from the fence they struck came through the windshield upon impact. OCRS treated and transported the three patients. While on scene, the Orange Volunteers were also sent to an EMS call and handled the ensuing landing zone with Wagon 23.  Pics.

Photos & Story by FF T. Melson

September 24 - Units from Co. 23 were sent to the Rhoadesville area with Mine Run VFC and EMS personnel for a MVC.  Units found a two vehicle crash with entrapment and several serious injuries.  Two patients were flown from the scene by Air Care 2 and several others were transported by ground.  Pics.

Photos & Story by FF M. Yancey

September 14 - Orange Volunteers were called upon for an early morning motor vehicle collision in the twenty-one thousand block of Monrovia Rd. OCRS T232 arrived to find a single vehicle that had struck a tree with patient ejection. Engine 23 checked the pickup and assisted the OCRS. Due to the injuries sustained by the patient, an attempt was made to MedEvac the patient at the Orange County Airport, also to be handled by Engine 23. However, weather conditions would not allow for any helicopter assistance, so the patient was transported via ground to UVA by an upgraded M232.  Pics.

Story by FF T. Melson - Photos by LT P. Fitch

September 9 - Capt. Steven Rosenfeld of the Salem Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department in Culpeper County, died in the Line of Duty while at the scene of a Motor Vehicle Crash.  Stories are below.

Culpeper Star Exponent

Firehouse.com

Photos by:

LT D. Dodson

September 6 - The Orange Volunteers were sent to a motor vehicle collision in the fifteen-hundred block of Mountain Track Rd. around 1230 hours. Engine 23 arrived to find a compact passenger car resting against a bank with one wheel completely off of the ground. The Volunteers checked the vehicle and spent the next hour and a half keeping traffic moving on the rainy Labor Day Monday. OCEMS M231 evaluated and received a refusal from the lone patient.  Pics.

Around 1530 hours, the Orange Volunteers were once again called on for help. This time for a motor vehicle collision in the fourteen-hundred block of Madison Run Rd. with two injuries. First arriving OCEMS units found a single vehicle on its side in the roadway, one patient ejected. Engine 23 checked the Ford Bronco over and closed the roadway. OCEMS M231 transported one patient with significant trauma to UVA while obtaining a refusal from the driver.  Pics.

Photos & Story

by FF T. Melson

September 1 - Volunteers from Orange, Mine Run, and Lake of the Woods were sent to Lafayette Dr. in the early morning hours of the first day of September for a house fire.  A cellular caller reported flames showing and units arrived to find the same from a split level residential.  First arriving Engine 23 put a knock on the fire and units performed overhaul and cleared within several hours.

Photo & Story by FF M. Yancey

August 25 - As the first school day for students in the new PHMS was coming to an end, work for Orange Volunteers was just getting started at the old building.  A street assignment was dispatched for 200 Macon Rd. at 1357 hrs. for a building fire.  Personnel at FS23 could see the column of smoke from the floor and knew they had work to do.  First arriving units found fire in possession of all construction debris and material on the B/C corner of the single story building.  Engine 23's crew laddered the roof and began attack while remaining members of that crew paired with members from Truck 23 and went inside to work on fire that had extended into a classroom.  Crews made quick work of the fire as well as the overhaul and cleared within 2 hours.  Pictures.

See the story at Firehouse.com.

Photo by FF T. Pope -

Photo & Story by FF M. Yancey

August 21 - Members and family spent the weekend in Roanoke, VA attending and competing in the 118th VSFA Convention.  The Competition Team from Orange returned with three first place trophies, one second place trophy, and the Overall Champion Award.  Also, in the 2 Man Air Pack, Jimmy Fitch and Randy Amos broke the state record by almost 1 second.   For more, see the Convention Page.

Photo by LT Yancey

August 14 - Orange Volunteers responded to a motor vehicle accident on Rt. 631 Saturday evening. Initial reports indicated a single vehicle into a tree with extensive damage and entrapment. Chief 23 arrived to find a Ford Ranger with heavy damage to the roof, negative entrapment. The pickup struck a falling tree, which came to rest about 20 yards behind the truck and blocked the roadway. The Volunteers split up to assist the OCRS with packaging the patient and removing the tree from the road.  Pics.

Story by FF T. Melson - Photos by LT Dodson

August 6 - Secretary Tom Ridge today announced 411 grants to fire departments throughout the United States in the tenth round of the Fiscal Year 2004 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. The grants will ultimately total approximately 8,000 awards worth nearly $750 million in direct assistance to firefighters throughout the country, demonstrating Homeland Security’s commitment to ensuring that America’s firefighters have the resources they need to protect their communities.

On March 1, 2003, the Office for Domestic Preparedness became a part of the Department of Homeland Security. For more information on ODP, please visit the Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) is a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within the Department of Homeland Security. The mission of the USFA is to reduce life and economic losses due to fire and related emergencies, through leadership, advocacy, coordination, and support. For more information on USFA, please visit the Website at http://www.usfa.fema.gov.

Also see: http://www.firegrantsupport.com/winners.aspx

Firehouse.com

VA Listings

August 2 - Units from 23 were requested for a mid-afternoon head-on crash on US 522 by Captain 21-2.  Engine 23 arrived with Engine 21 on a 2 vehicle head-on with major damage and 1 trapped.  The crew went to work with personnel from MFVFD to accomplish the extrication in under 20 minutes.  The patient that was removed was flown by Life Evac out of Fredericksburg.  The 2nd patient was transported by M292 to Culpeper Regional Hospital.  Pictures.

See the story on Firehouse.com

Story by FF M. Yancey -

Photos by FF R. Rankin

July 30 - Orange Volunteers freed a victim of a two vehicle crash in the Lahore area of the County.  Engine 23's crew used a pry-bar to gain access to the driver who was one of three people transported by EMS.  Photos...

Story by FF Yancey - Photos by FF T. Melson

July 26 - Fire & EMS units were alerted for a MVC in the Montford area of the County on Monday afternoon.  Chief 23 arrived to find a 2 vehicle collision with heavy damage and drivers entrapped in both vehicles.  Crews from E23, SA23, SU23, and SQ234 split and performed the jobs simultaneously.  Both vehicles were occupied by a driver only and those victims were taken to UVA by OCEMS M232 and M211.  Pics.

Story & Photos by FF M. Yancey

July 14 - Orange Volunteers responded to a tractor trailer vs. passenger car MVC with lines down and a diesel spill.  Multiple crews mitigated the incident and units remained on the scene for almost three hours.  Photos.

Units responding: K23, SA23, SU23, Haz-Mat Trailer, OCRS, and OCES.

Story & Photos by FF M. Yancey

July 9 - Units from 23 were requested by Madison County for an overturned dump truck at Rts. 15 & 230 (Madison Mills).  Initial reports were that the dump truck was overturned and on fire - Tanker 23 arrived to confirm this report.  The crew went to work with an attack line and extinguished the truck and it's load (corn) using foam.  Units cleared shortly, leaving the scene to be handled by MCVFD.  Photos.

OV units responding:  K23, E23, and SA23.

Story by FF Yancey - Photos by LT Dodson

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