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The Carnegie Volunteer Fire Department's 30 firefighters responded to more than 300 calls Sept. 17, the day the community's low-lying areas were under muddy water.

When they returned to their West Main Street firehouse Sept. 18, they found that much of it -- and equipment worth more than $1 million -- had been ruined.

The fire department and emergency medical service are down to just two pumper trucks and two ambulances.

"This could hamper us, but we are going to have to rely on a lot of surrounding communities for a while," said Heather Demsher, a Carnegie firefighter and paramedic.

A fund has been set up in the fire department's name at the North Hills branch of Fidelity Bank to collect money to repair the damage from the flooding caused by remnants of Hurricane Ivan.

In a matter of minutes, up to 5 feet of water poured into the 16-month-old, $1.3 million firehouse. The flooding caused about $200,000 in damage to the building alone, Demsher said.

"Everything was going perfect. We loved our new building. And then this happens," Demsher said. "Now, I am literally looking through the walls into the other rooms."

The inside of the Carnegie Volunteer Fire Department looks as if it were in the middle of a war zone.

Everything there is in disarray -- the walls are busted through, abandoned fire vehicles are nearby and dried mud left behind from last month's flood is everywhere.

The fire department is in need more than ever, having lost more than $1 million in equipment in one day.

The highest priced item damaged was a 100-foot ladder truck valued at $800,000.

A fully stocked ambulance, pumper truck, computers, desks, files, fax machines, telephones, 20 portable emergency call radios and their chargers also were ruined in the flood.

A $20,000 fire hose washer and dryer and a $30,000 pressurized air system that refills breathing apparatus both were damaged beyond repair.

Carnegie fire Chief John Kandracs said day-to-day operations are being handled with the help of office equipment the department now shares with Carnegie EMS.

If a fire occurs in Carnegie, fire departments in any of the surrounding communities -- Scott, Heidelberg, Collier and Bridgeville -- can be called on for assistance under a mutual aid agreement, Kandracs said.

Demsher said the department already borrowed 10 radios from Bridgeville's fire department.

"We are very devastated, as I'm sure every other resident here is," said Demsher, 32, of South Fayette.

"We put our lives into building this up, and now, it's down," Demsher said.

The fire department's annual operating budget is around $100,000, said Demsher, who is also the treasurer. About $27,000 is allocated annually from the borough of Carnegie.

"When we were able to get back into the building ... we had a lot of crying eyes that day," Demsher said.

Half of the firefighters lost their cars, which were parked near the fire department the day of the flooding.

Kandracs, 49, of Carnegie, said the department's insurer "walked away" without helping the department because it didn't have flood insurance.

He is shopping for a new insurance company and, this time, will get flood insurance, Kandracs said.

Like most business and home owners in Carnegie, Kandracs was told the property was not in a flood zone.

A representative from the Federal Emergency Management Agency visited the fire house last week, Kandracs said, but no one knows what federal aid the department will receive.

"We are doing everything to just look forward and move forward to make sure people of Carnegie have their service," Kandracs said.

"There's no looking back."

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