Lawrence Township Fire Log: June 18-24

Lawrence Township is protected by three volunteer fire companies: (Station 21), founded in 1907; Lawrence Road Fire Co. (Station 22), organized in 1914; and Lawrenceville Fire Co. (Station 23), founded in 1915. Fires, motor vehicle accidents, hazardous situations, chemical spills, natural disasters, floods and animal rescues are among the wide variety of emergency situations to which the fire companies regularly respond. 

When an emergency is reported through the 911 system, volunteer firefighters are alerted via pager. If they are available, they leave their homes, jobs or wherever they are at the time and respond to their respective firehouses. Once a minimum number of volunteers (usually four) are present, they staff a fire engine, ladder truck or other apparatus and respond to the scene of the emergency.

Between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to Friday (with the exception of holidays) Lawrence Township's four career (paid) firefighters also respond to emergencies under the designation of Station 20. 

The following is a log of all 24 calls answered by township firefighters from June 18 through June 24, 2011. All calls occurred within Lawrence Township, except where noted.

The total number of fire calls for 2011 through June 24 is 495.

#1 (#472) Saturday, June 18 – Fire Alarm – Lawrence Shopping Center, 2400 block Brunswick Pike

• Time of Alarm: 10:12 a.m.  Time Returned: 10:37 a.m.
• Accidental activation of alarm system at Radio Shack. Stations 21, 22 responded.

#2 (#473)  Saturday, June 18 – Fire Alarm – Cliveden Court

• Time of Alarm: 6:51 p.m.  Time Returned: 7:30 p.m.
• Alarm system malfunction. Stations 22, 23 responded.

#3 (#474) Saturday, June 18 – Hazardous Condition – 2400 block Brunswick Pike 

• Time of Alarm: 7:20 p.m. Time Returned: 7:35 p.m.
• Electrical short-circuit inside business. Power was shut off and business manager was advised to contact an electrician to make repairs prior to restoring power. Station 21 responded.

#4 (#475)  Saturday, June 18 – Carbon Monoxide Alarm – 100 block Hazelhurst Avenue

• Time of Alarm: 10:26 p.m. Time Returned: 10:52 p.m.
• Alarm system malfunction. Station 22 responded.

#5 (#476)  Sunday, June 19 – Fire Alarm – Federal Point Boulevard

• Time of Alarm: 6:25 a.m. Time Returned: 7:02 a.m.
• Alarm system malfunction. Stations 21, 22, 23 responded.

#6 (#477)  Monday, June 20 – Fire Alarm – 100 block Darrah Lane

• Time of Alarm: 10:28 a.m. Time Returned: 10:49 a.m.
• Accidental activation of alarm system. Stations 20, 21, 22 responded.

#7 (#478) Monday, June 20 – Natural Gas Leak – Edith Drive

• Time of Alarm: 12:22 p.m. Time Returned: 12:49 p.m.
• Resident reported an odor of gas near the kitchen stove. Firefighters checked the appliance but found no problems. Resident was advised to have the appliance examined by a certified technician as a precaution. Stations 20, 23 responded.

#8 (#479)  Monday, June 20 – Investigation – Shirley Lane

• Time of Alarm: 8:23 p.m. Time Returned: 9:03 p.m.
• Resident reported smelling an unusual odor. Firefighters checked the residence and found a problem with the water heater. Station 23 responded.

#9 (#480)  Monday, June 20 – Natural Gas Leak – Bunker Hill Road

• Time of Alarm: 8:55 p.m. Time Returned: 9:21 p.m.
• Odor of gas in the residence was found a faulty stove. Gas supply was shut off and the resident was advised to have the appliance serviced. Station 22 responded.

#10 (#481)   Tuesday, June 21 – Motor Vehicle Accident – Interstate 95

• Time of Alarm: 6:30 p.m.  Time Returned: 6:48 p.m.
• Cellular phone caller reported seeing a vehicle flip over a guardrail along Interstate 95 near Exit 5. Firefighters searched the area but were unable to locate any accident. New Jersey State Police later found the accident near Exit 5 of the New Jersey Turnpike in Burlington County. Stations 21, 22, 23 responded.

#11 (#482) Tuesday, June 21 – Odor of Smoke – 500 block Trinity Avenue, Hamilton Township 

• Time of Alarm: (not available) Time Returned: 8:40 p.m.
• Slackwood Fire Co. was dispatched to help Hamilton Township firefighters investigate a smoke condition in the area. Smoke was found to be from an outside fire pit.

#12 (#483) Wednesday, June 22 – Odor of Smoke – 300 block Beechwood Avenue, Ewing Township  

• Time of Alarm: 10:56 a.m. Time Returned: 11:05 a.m.
• Snorkel 21 from Slackwood Fire Co. was dispatched to help Ewing Township firefighters investigate an odor of smoke inside a residence. Snorkel 21 was cancelled prior to arriving on scene.

#13 (#484) Wednesday, June 22 – Odor of Smoke – 2000 block of Brunswick Pike

• Time of Alarm: 12:13 p.m.  Time Returned: 12:32 p.m.
• Reported odor of smoke in the Dollar General store was found to be from a faulty fan in a women’s restroom. Stations 20, 21, 22, 23 responded.

#14 (#485) Wednesday, June 22 – Hazardous Condition – Lewisville Road

• Time of Alarm: 4:23 p.m. Time Returned: 4:42 p.m.
• Nearby resident heard what sounded like an electrical transformer explode. Firefighters searched the area but could not find any problems. Station 23 responded.

#15 (#486) Wednesday, June 22 – Citizen Assist – Phillips Avenue

• Time of Alarm: (not available) Time Returned: (not available)
• Parent was locked out of a residence with a 7-year-old child left inside. Firefighters gained entry through the front door to reunite the parent and child. The child was not injured. Station 23 responded.

#16 (#487) Wednesday, June 22 – Investigation – Melvina Drive

• Time of Alarm: 9:50 p.m.  Time Returned: 10:38 p.m.
• Residents reported their house might have been struck by lightning. Firefighters investigated and found no evidence of a lightning strike, but they did find that a large tree limb had fallen onto the house, causing some damage to the gutter. Station 23 responded.

#17 (#488) Thursday, June 23 – Fire Alarm – 2900 block Brunswick Pike (Route 1) 

• Time of Alarm: 10:13 a.m. Time Returned: 10:26 a.m.
• Alarm system malfunction at Howard Johnson’s Motor Lodge. Stations 20, 21, 23 responded.

#18 (#489) Thursday, June 23 – Fire Alarm – Princess Road

• Time of Alarm: 11:04 a.m. Time Returned: 11:43 a.m.
• Malfunction of alarm system. Stations 20, 21, 23 responded.

#19 (#490) Friday, June 24 – Fire Alarm – Darrah Lane East

• Time of Alarm: 10:45 a.m. Time Returned: 10:52 a.m.
• Accidental activation of alarm system. Stations 20, 21, 22 responded.

#20 (#491) Friday, June 24 – Fire Alarm – 200 block Federal City Road

• Time of Alarm: 12:42 p.m. Time Returned: 1:05 p.m.
• Accidental activation of alarm system. Stations 20, 22, 23 responded.

#21 (#492) Friday, June 24 – Fire Alarm – 3300 block Brunswick Pike (Route 1) 

• Time of Alarm: 5:32 p.m.  Time Returned: 5:56 p.m.
• Accidental activation of alarm system at Verizon Wireless in Mercer Mall. Stations 21, 23 responded.

#22  (#493) Friday, June 24 – Motor Vehicle Accident – Lower Ferry Road & Parkway Avenue, Ewing Township

• Time of Alarm: 5:32 p.m. Time Returned: 6:14 p.m.
• Rescue 22 from Lawrence Road Fire Co. responded to assist Ewing Township firefighters at the scene of a two-vehicle collision with three people trapped in the wreckage. Rescue 22’s crew cut away the driver’s door of one of the vehicles to free one of the victims.

#23 (#494) Friday, June 24 – Structure Fire – Featherbed Lane, Hopewell Township

• Time of Alarm: 5:54 p.m. Time Returned: 6:55 p.m.
• Telesquirt 23 from Lawrenceville Fire Co. responded to help firefighters from Hopewell, Pennington and Montgomery fight a house fire. Flames were contained to one room. Telesquirt 23’s crew assisted with salvage and overhaul.

#24 (#495) Friday, June 24 – Smoke Condition – Quaker Bridge Mall, 3300 block Brunswick Pike 

• Time of Alarm: 9:15 p.m.  Time Returned: 10:04 p.m.
• Police sergeant on scene reported a visible haze of smoke in the mall. Firefighters searched and discovered the source of the smoke was a welder doing work in a utility area. No fire. Fans were used to clear away the smoke. Stations 21, 22, 23 responded.