New Heavy Rescue Truck Taken on Its First Call Sunday

The new, $800,000, Heavy Rescue Squad No. 322 at Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company made its first call Sunday to a house fire in the 3400 block of Essex Road, Woodlawn.

The call came in at about 2:30 a.m.

Baltimore County Fire Department firefighters from the Woodlawn and Randallstown stations worked the hose lines and performed ventilation and search.

"Upon arrival, the [322] squad crew assisted with lighting the scene and with ventilation and search," according to the PVFC report. "Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire. Squad 322 operated for about 1 hour on scene."

The Squad 322 carries specialized rescue equipment, including a hydraulic rescue system known as "Jaws of Life," generators, winches, hi-lift jacks, cranes, cutting torches, circular saws, airbags and other forms of heavy equipment not usually found on fire engines or ladder trucks.

It was put into service during a ceremony on June 8.

Its primary response area includes Pikesville, Brooklandville, Randallstown, Woodlawn, Westview and part of Owings Mills/Garrison. It also covers the beltway (I-695) from I-83 to I-70, and part of I-795.

Visit the PVFC website to read the full report on the call, and to see photographs.

Odor investigated

Also at about 4 p.m. Sunday, the PVFC's Squad 322 and Tower 323 responded to a call at 11 Church Lane, at Catholic Charities Senior Housing, according to a report.

That call ended up being an odor of something burning in the microwave, the report states.