Skippack Fire Company was busy early Wednesday morning with two calls for service within four minutes. The first dispatch came in at 08:35 for a motor vehicle accident at Skippack Pike and Evansburg Road. Just four minutes later SFC was dispatched to a commercial building fire at Palmer International on Lucon Road in Skippack Township. The first call to the Montgomery County Communication Center came from the buildings alarm company as manual pull station alarm and then backup information confirming a fire and that the building was being evacuated.

At 08:43 Chief 86 arrived on scene and declared a working fire. He instructed the first due engine to lay into the fire building and requested a RIT company and three additional engines be added to the box. Numerous other special calls were made throughout the incident including numerous EMS units for rehab and supporting RIT to a Montgomery County Hazmat Team representative.

The fire was in a milling machine, storage bin and bag house with extension to the roof of the building. The fire was declared under control at 10:19. Extensive work needed to be completed to check for extension and to overhaul the structure. Various parts of the machine line and storage units needed to be disassembled to extinguish the fire and again ensure fire was still not hidden within parts of the line. A decontaminated sector was created for all firefighters needing DECON as well as their equipment.

Numerous fire companies, fire police and ems agencies assisted on scene or as move ups to cover empty stations with our thanks. Those companies included:

Skippack Emergency Medical Service
Chester Fire Company
Collegeville Fire Company
Harleysville Fire Company
Limerick Fire Company
Lower Frederick Fire Company
Montgomery County Hazmat Response Team
Norriton Fire Company
Perkiomen Township Fire Company
Perseverance Fire Company of Souderton
Plymouth Community Ambulance
Towamencin Fire Company
Trappe Fire Company and Ambulance
Schwenksville Fire Company
Worcester Fire Company

Skippack responding units included: Chief, Deputy and the Battalion Chief, Engine (with Captain), Engine 86-1, Rescue, Tanker and Utility 86. Command was terminated and all units made available at 12:11.