Life Saving Award

John Helman, LT. J Hatfield, Chad Slover, Dale Kline

The Life Saving Award was presented to Chad Slover, Dale Kline and Lieutenant J Hatfield by Captain John Helman at the annual Lancaster Township Fire Department Service Awards Banquet, Saturday November 15, 2003.

During hurricane Isabel, Lancaster Township Fire Department was dispatched to the intersection of Wheatland Avenue and North School Lane in Lancaster Township for powerlines down on the roadway.

As firefighters were evaluating the area around downed electric lines, firefighter Dale Kline heard a tree splitting sound and a large tree limb hanging above Squad 6-6-1. Kline immediately notified Lieutenant J Hatfield, the officer of Truck 6-6. Hatfield immediately radioed to the squad truck to move from under the tree. Captain John Helman and Chris Mosso who were sitting in the truck, threw the squad in to reverse and backed up at a high rate of speed.

No more than three seconds later, a large tree fell into the very spot where the squad truck was parked. The quick action of the firefighters saved the life of Captain Helman and firefighter Mosso.