York firefighter of the year: Ivan Flanscha killed in line of duty

 

(York) –Ivan Flanscha was a hodgepodge kind of guy.

At York College, he studied music, starting in 1988, where he honed his classical guitar skills. He worked construction on the side.

But a year later, Flanscha and his wife had their first daughter so he started looking for a better job. He hung up his guitar, cut his hair and took the test to become a City of York firefighter. 

On Thursday, Flanscha, 50, and fellow firefighter Zachary Anthony, 29, were killed in the line of duty when part of the Weaver Organ and Piano factory building collapsed on them and two other firefighters. 

The fire broke out Wednesday afternoon and sent flames shooting out of the 4-story building for hours, leaving roughly 100 firefighters fighting to contain the blaze from the ground and from ladders above.

Flanscha was there on Thursday as firefighters remained on the scene, containing the smoldering rubble.

He was pronounced dead at York Hospital, according to Philip Given, chief of staff for York Mayor Michael Helfrich’s office.

His death marked the first in the line of duty for the city fire department in nearly 50 years. With this loss, there have now been 12 members of the department killed in the line of duty, according to the city’s website.

The other firefighters

The two other firefighters who were hurt included Greg Altland, an assistant chief who’s been with the department for nearly 30 years, and Erik Swanson. As of Thursday night, they were both in stable condition at York Hospital.

Anthony, who joined the department in August 2010, was pronounced dead at the hospital. 

Outside of fighting fires, Anthony was a leader in an education session that paired students at York’s St. Patrick Catholic School with community leaders. 

The pen-pal program was a way for younger children to write letters to people and learn more about what they do.

Flanscha’s many achievements

Over his career, Flanscha was known to do the things that firefighters do in a small city.

He scooped trapped ducklings from inside storm drains. He fought fires so intense that residents were forced to escape through windows and onto roofs. 

At one time, Flanscha was the lead guitarist in a band whose members included some of his fellow firefighters. Sometimes, they practiced at the firehouse.

The band name, Gallimaufry, was an obscure word meaning hodgepodge to reflect their eclectic sound.

For years, he competed with six of his brethren on a Combat Challenge Team. They traveled the country to compete in individual and team events that simulated firefighting skills. Flanscha was the team’s fastest firefighter in a competition that required him to climb on top of a five-story hydraulic tower while carrying a 42-pound hose sack, and then descend back down and swing a nine-pound mallet. 

After competing at the combat challenge’s World Championships, Flanscha was inducted into its hall of fame. 

Even two broken arms didn’t stop the firefighter from competing. 

In August 2004, Flanscha fell off a 12-foot ladder while working on a house he owned in York. The accident left him feeling helpless.

But his wife and his firefighter family were there to help him out. 

Some came over just to hang out and drink beers. Others he found mowing his lawn.

“I don’t generally ask for help,” Flanscha told the York Daily Record, “so I don’t expect it.”

He went on: “I was surprised, kind of moved, that the guys you work with care that much about you.”

Just a few months later, Flanscha was back competing on the course, trying to beat his personal best. 

The city has recognized him for his work, too, naming him firefighter of the year for 2004, according to the city website. 

A couple years ago, Flanscha became a familiar face in people’s households. The firefighter was featured in a commercial for the grooming product company Wahl.

Just about a year or so into the job, Flanscha helped rescue a man from a burning home in the 200 block of South Queen Street. 

The smoke was so thick they couldn’t see a man hanging out of a second-floor window. But they got him down safely.

Flanscha said at the time that he didn’t think about it when he made the rescue. He just jumped in and did his job as he was trained. 

He did make one phone call later to his wife: “I helped save a life today,” he told her.

 

 

This story comes to us through a partnership between WITF and The York Daily Record.