IN Ross Township Spring 2019 | Page 54

COMMUNITY Public Service – Organizations, People and Programs Continued Urban Search and Rescue Team, regional EMS strike team, Critical Incident Stress Management Team, Water Rescue team, Hazardous Materials Team and the list goes on. Our staff has trained all across the United States taking various classes in various cities and states and bringing that knowledge right back here to the North Hills. We take what we do seriously. We are proud to serve you our constituents. We know how important what we do is, because you all are so very important to us. We are looking forward to 40 more years of service and thank you for your continued support. ROSS TOWNSHIP VOLUNTEER FIREMEN RECRUITMENT & RETENTION COMMITTEE Discount Club Update Ross Township has been blessed with a 100% volunteer fire service for many years. The desire of this committee, business owners and every taxpayer is to ensure that this purely volunteer group remains intact, well trained and ready to go. Ross Township has 8 fire companies with approximately 300 volunteers consisting of fire fighters, administrative help, fire police and junior members. Every year state regulations make the cost and time requirements for training more demanding on new and veteran members. Each new member costs the companies upwards of $3,000 which is covered by Ross Township General Fund budget contributions, federal and state grants and fund raising efforts of the fire companies. Help us thank them for the commitment and a job well done by becoming a member of the Ross Township Volunteer Firemen Discount Club. Any discount of any amount is deeply appreciated. Any volunteer requesting a discount at your establishment must present photo ID to receive the discount. The Discount Club listing of participants will be published in our magazine quarterly and posted at each fire hall. Following are the current participants: • Bodytech North Hills • Breen Law Firm, LLC • Cable Orthodontics • First National Bank • Grady, Kastner & Gornick Orthodontics • Huet Eye Associates • Jersey Mike’s Subs • North Hills Printing • Rusmur Floors Carpet One ROSS/WEST VIEW EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AUTHORITY – MORE THAN JUST AN AMBULANCE SERVICE Did you know that it is Ross/West View EMSA’s birthday? This year marks 40 years of service to the communities in the North 52 ROSS TOWNSHIP Hills of Pittsburgh. 40 years full of stories, full of lessons learned, full of heartache and full of amazing lifesaving events. Every day for 40 plus years, Ross/West View EMSA’s career and volunteer staff has come into this station committed, driven to learn, driven to care, driven to give everything they possibly can and driven to be part of this amazing and different organization. Today, Ross/ West View EMSA provides Ambulance and Rescue services to Ross Township, West View Borough, Reserve Township, Millvale Borough and Ohio Township. From its inception, Ross/West View EMSA has stood out in public safety. Largely because of the vision of Ross Township and West View Borough, the Ross and West View Police Departments and every single person who has walked through these door. Whether you contributed one day or 20 years, in some way you have left your mark here and helped us be who we are today. The basic philosophy of who we are is really born in our mindset. A mindset that helps our staff challenge each other to be better, to know and learn more each and every day and to ask why or how we can change, improve or do more for the communities we are here to serve. Ross/West View EMSA has been recognized throughout the years by the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council for Ambulance Service of the Year, Rescue Service of the Year, Rescue Technician of the Year, EMS Instructor of the Year, Paramedic of the Year and more. The list goes on and on. Taking people to the hospital is certainly a large part of what we do but we are so much more. Clinically our EMT’s and Paramedics are challenged to provide the best and most aggressive medical care possible in Pennsylvania and across the US. Ross/West View EMSA EMT’s and Paramedics are charged with taking medical care to our patient, no matter their location or the situation that they have found themselves in. Through that approach, Ross/ West View EMSA is one of one a few EMS agencies that provides Rescue Services. We are the only Advanced Rescue Truck in Ross and West View and provide every possible rescue discipline you can imagine. Going beyond medical and rescue services, you will find Ross/ West View EMSA staff all over the North Hills providing all kinds of education and public relations. Ross/West View EMSA staff can regularly be found in schools, public places and other public safety agencies providing equipment and education for a variety of emergencies that folks may encounter. Our staff participates in various specialized teams through our region and state. Paramedics on the North Hills Special response team come from Ross/West View EMSA. Paramedics and EMTS participate with the Federal Disaster Medical Assistance Team, Urban Search and Rescue Team, regional EMS strike team, Critical Incident Stress Management Team, Water Rescue team, Hazardous Materials Team and the list goes on. Our staff has trained all across the United States taking various classes in various cities and states and bringing that knowledge right back here to the North Hills. We take what we do seriously. We are proud to serve you our constituents. We know how important what we do is, because you all are so very important to us. We are looking forward to 40 more years of service and thank you for your continued support.