The Officers and Members of the Chinchilla Hose Company extend our thoughts and prayers to the Family of Chief 58 Rood and the Station 58, Jermyn Fire Department.

At approximately 1211 on 5/21/09, the Crystal Fire Company (Station 58 in Jermyn, Lackawanna County, PA) was dispatched as a part of a first alarm assignment for a structure fire. The Crystal Fire Company No. 1 is one of two fire companies that protects the Borough of Jermyn.

At approximately 1215, Fire Chief Ray Rood was getting into officers seat of Ladder Truck for that run when he suffered some type of medical emergency and fell to floor in cardiac arrest. CPR was started by firefighters and then EMS arrived on scene and revived him. The Chief became combative...got up...then fell the second time. He was taken to Community Medical Center in Scranton where he is in Intensive Care....he also suffered from a fractured skull as a result of hitting his head on the concrete and has minor to moderate bleeding and swelling of the brain. His head injury appears to be recoverable however the hospital staff is concerned about what caused the medical issue to begin with. We will keep you advised on his progress our hopes for a rapid recovery.

Chinchilla Hose Company April 2009 Fire Report

Assist to Station 4: 9 (4 Automatic Fire Alarms, 2 Brush Fires, 2 Smoke Investigations, 1 Furnace Malfunction)

Automatic Fire Alarm: 6

Brush Fires: 3

Motor Vehicle Accidents: 3

Assist to SAPD: 2

Assist to Station 8: 2 (Forest Fire & Structure Fire)

Public Service: 2

Structure Fires: 2

Trees Down: 2

Vehicle Fires: 2

Assist to Station 23: 1 (Stand-by)

Assist to Station 36: 1 (Brush Fire)

Assist to Station 28: 1 (Structure Fire)

Assist to Station 50: 1 (Structure Fire)

Assist to Station 95: 1 (Structure Fire)

False Call: 1 

Gas Alarm: 1

Gas Odor: 1

Pole Fire: 1

Smoke Investigation Outside: 1

TOTAL JOBS: 43

AVERAGE FIREFIGHTERS PER JOB: 7

Chinchilla Hose Company Ambulance 2-9 was dispatched on 80 EMS jobs in April in addition to dispatches and responses on most Fire Department boxes.