Why Donations are Important

The next time you get an appeal for a donation from one of our volunteer Fire Departments, think about how you would feel if you were called out to fight a fire on a winter night when the high temperature for the day was twenty degrees. The picture below shows what a recent building fire looked like seconds after the first crew arrived. Since the call came in as a possible entrapment (meaning there might be people inside that inferno) the first thing you do is throw up a ladder. Then, with snow and ice on the ground, the power line falls from the burning building, energizing the entire area, including the ladder, and making it an electrocution hazard. You fall back and take the ladder down with a fiberglass pike pole since its "hot", all the while trying to stand back from the "hot" ice which has also become electrified. Fortunately, you receive confirmation that all the residents got out in time so you pull back, reset your lines and put as much water on the fire as you can. After several hours, its all a pile of smoldering embers with a wall of ice around the perimeter. However, the fire is out, it didn't spread and no one was hurt. Your turn out gear and everything around you is covered in ice. The adrenalin rush is over and you're cold and tired now. You think about the warm bed you left hours ago, but unfortunately, your job still isn't done. You have to put your equipment together on the truck, get your crew back to the fire house, clean up and make sure you're prepared for the next call. Hopefully, it won't come too soon. Being a fire fighter is a tough job. Being a volunteer is even tougher and not too many people want to do it anymore. However, those who do deserve our support and our thanks. Please remember that whenever you have a chance to help.

What If?

Most of us tend to take our volunteer organizations for granted. Whether it be Fire or EMS, when we dial 911, all we're really concerned with is getting help. However, did you ever wonder what would happen if no one answered the call? The two posters below were prepared by one of our sister Departments in Tafton and ask just that question. While they're intended to be a recruitment tool, the posters speak volumes in terms of what our volunteers do to keep us safe. For whatever reason, you may not be able to join any of the Emergency Services as an active volunteer. However, that should not prevent you from becoming an inactive volunteer. When you receive that appeal letter in the mail or meet that person on the highway with the collection basket, please be as generous as you can. Its a small price to pay for the peace of mind knowing that if you ever have to make that call for help, and we sincerely hope you don't, but if you do, our volunteers will be able to respond with the best equipment and the best training to help you in any emergency. Thank you.

LIVE IN PROGRAM - In case you haven't read about it in the papers, heard about it on the radio or seen it on TV, Forest Volunteer Fire Department is working to establish a Live In program which will create a way to offer free housing to college students, firefighting professionals and others who are willing and able to meet the Department's standards. In return, they will become volunteers for the fire department which will result in added coverage, reduced response times and more "boots on the ground" when they're needed. This program will be of tremendous benefit to the community since it will, in essence, create the equivalent of a "Paid Firefighters" situation without the associated cost. The program already operates successfully in many other states and as close as Lancaster County in Pennsylvania, where it has been a huge success.

The proposal has been enthusiastically received and the Department already has the support of Senator Lisa Baker, Representative Michael Peifer, Lackawanna College, the Lackawaxen Township Supervisors, The Lackawaxen Township Fire Commission and the Pike County Commissioners. They are currently in the process of writing a grant to help provide financial assistance for this project. In addition, they are contacting community businesses and institutions to solicit their support as well. Covering start up costs is the next hurdle to be met, but once in full swing, the benefits, both tangible and intangible, from the program will be felt throughout the Township.

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated since a lot of preparation work has to be done before the Department can begin accepting candidates into the program. The second floor of the Fire House will have to be modified to create a live in dormitory style setting, including kitchen, bathroom and laundry facilities. In addition, funding will be needed for training, uniforms and equipment. While students will be responsible for their own meals, they will have a place to live where they will also be available to support our volunteers 24/7 in responding to fire or emergency calls. The win-win situation provides a way for the students to give something back to the community while helping themselves in the process.

The initial pool of candidates is expected to come from Lackawanna College, which will be opening its campus in the Silk Mill Building. However, any young men and women who might be interested fire fighting, emergency response and community support will be welcome to apply for acceptance into the program. Experience elsewhere has shown that not only do participants learn valuable skills that serve them well throughout their lives, but many of them stay on and pursue careers in fire fighting, EMS and related fields. As a result, the Live In program continues to benefit the community long after the individual students complete their training or graduate.

Future updates on the program's progress will be posted on the Lackawaxen Fire Commission web site as well as the Forest Volunteer Fire Department web site. Remember to check back often to find out what's happening and how it affects you.

LIVE IN PROGRAM UPDATE

The grant application has been submitted, the deadline has closed and now the Department is waiting to find out if they'll qualify for supplemental funding to help move this important program forward and just how much they'll receive. It will be another couple of months before they get an answer, but with so much support behind it from our elected representatives, community organizations and the public in general, everyone is optimistic. While its too early to make any commitments, the Committee coordinating the effort has started looking at all the technical details that will need to be addressed so they can hit the ground running once they know they have the seed money.

Keep watching this site for future updates to find out how things are progressing.