IN Canon-Mac Winter 2018 | Page 54

NORTH STRABANE FIRE DEPARTMENT AWARDED $446,677.00 GRANT North Strabane Township Fire Department was recently awarded a grant from the Department of Homeland Security. The Competitive Staffing for Adequate Firefighter and Emergency Responders (SAFER) Grant in the Amount $446,677.00 was awarded on September 7, 2018 and formally accepted by the Township Board of Supervisors at the board meeting on September 25, 2018. The award will help fund 3 additional full-time Firefighters. With the Township continuing its rapid growth the Department is working diligently to maintain the expected level of exemplary service our residents have come to know. The three firefighters will bolster the routine staffing which is expecting to answer over 2,000 calls for service in 2018! The Department plans to have the three new full-time firefighters hired in January of 2019. NEW PART-TIME FIREFIGHTERS ON BOARD North Strabane Township Fire Department hired four New part-time firefighters at the September 24, 2018 Township Board of Supervisors meeting. The 4 new Employees John Storey, Trevor Colwes, Joseph Gubash, and Jason Tyger were hired to fill vacancies within the Part-Time ranks of the department. These four individuals finished at the top of the testing process, which included a written exam, physical agility test and oral interview. SWIFT WATER RESCUE TEAM ON THE RISE With the continued deluge of rain across Western Pennsylvania, the Fire Department identified the need for water rescue resources within the township and the county. Currently North Strabane Fire Department Swift Water Response Team operates with 18 team members, 8 that have completed the 70 hours of training and have achieved Technician Level under the PA Fish and Boat Commission. The team has recently submitted to become a FEMA type 3A certified team. To date the team has been deployed to six incidents in and around North Strabane Township. A NEW FIRE STATION IS ON THE HORIZION We are excited and blessed to have a strong working relationship between North Strabane Township and North Strabane Fire Department. Recently North Strabane Township Supervisors approved the purchase of eighty-one acres on Route 519. Part of the land purchase will be 52 NORTH STRABANE used to upgrade our Fire Station 2 and for a future public safety- training center. Look for more updates in the near future on our Facebook page! WINTER & HOLIDAY FIRE SAFETY TIPS With the winter months approaching, remember to always keep fire and safety prevention in mind! Here are some tips to keep you and your family safe ➣ First and foremost, working smoke detectors are a must in all homes. This is the most cost effective safety feature you can have in the event a fire occurs. • We have just recently turned the clocks back from daylight savings and if you have not changed the batteries in your smoke detector let’s get to it! • If you do not have smoke detectors in your home, the North Strabane Fire Department will provide them to Township residents at no cost!! ➣ In conjunction with smoke detectors, most homes have Carbon Monoxide (CO) detectors. This is a good time to change the batteries and check the age and function of these devices also. • Carbon Monoxide is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. Most often CO incidents occur during the winter months. • CO detectors have a life span of 10 years max. If it is nearing this age or beyond, please replace it! • Make sure to have heating appliances & fireplaces checked by a professional prior to use for the season. Faulty heating