Monday a Busy Day For Norristown Fire Department

In a day filled with breaking news (a deadly truck crash on the Turnpike, a West Norriton man killed, a homicide and abduction in Upper MerionFire Department had its hands full with a day full of local calls.

Starting just before 11 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 23, firefighters responded to three calls on the West End, all within 20 minutes.

According to the Department of Public Safety's live incident feed, the first call came through at 10:58 a.m. – a building fire at Noble and Thomas Barone streets. According to Norristown Fire Chief Thomas O'Donnell, that call was a false alarm. Residents of a home in the 500 block of Noble had fired up their home heating unit for the first time this season and smelled something burning.

There was no fire and no one was injured in the incident.

Then a fire alarm call at 11:01 a.m. on the 800 block of Stanbridge Street brought firefighters to an apartment complex with an active alarm. There was no fire and no reported injuries.

As crews secured the scene and packed up their trucks, another call came out at 11:15 a.m. for a trash fire in an alley at Haws Avenue and West Main Street. The call presented an actual fire that was put out within minutes. No injuries or damage to property and no known cause.

Norriton Fire company units aided NFD with the flurry of morning calls. 

At 7:02 p.m. Monday evening, firefighters were called out once again, this time for a vehicle fire reported and Markley and West Marshall streets. On the scene firefighters discovered a police car with a 

"It was a mechanical failure in the police car," said Chief O'Donnell. "Looked like the alternator or the battery burned up in the car."

There was no collision involved and no officers or firefighters were injured in the incident.

Chief O'Donnell noted that a failing alternator or battery was a common occurrence in police vehicles.

"It's like a mobile office," said Chief O'Donnell. "Those guys are running radios, sirens, lights, computers. And you've got to remember, those cars run twenty four-seven."