WHAT’S NEWS IN WEST MIFFLIN
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 914 Intrepid
Commander Jake Bradich, left, and
quartermaster Gary Ruston proudly display
their unit’s All-American certificate and
streamer. The West Mifflin VFW Post was
recently recognized as being one of the best
in the United States.
RESIDENTS URGED TO
CHANGE BATTERIES IN
DETECTORS
Allegheny County Emergency Services
Chief Matt Brown reminded residents to
change the batteries in their smoke alarms and
carbon monoxide detectors.
Battery checks on these devices are
recommended around Daylight Saving Time
changes to promote an easy-to-remember
time of year to think about safety. “Daylight
Saving Time provides a perfect opportunity to
increase awareness in the community about
the life-saving benefits of smoke alarms,” said
Brown. “Smoke alarms can’t do their jobs,
however, if the batteries have died, so
checking the batteries is just as important.
Age matters as well when it comes to your
smoke alarms, and the alarms should be
replaced every 10 years, so check the
6 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | West Mifflin
WEST MIFFLIN VFW
EARNS ALL-AMERICAN
HONORS
achievement VFW 914 did for the second
straight year this past May.
Bradich also cited the work done this past
year by VFW 914 Patriot’s Pen and Voice
of Democracy chairman Gary Ruston as
instrumental in promoting the organization’s
scholarship programs. In all, VFW Post
914 received 34 entries for this year’s VOD
competition, and six for the Patriot’s Pen.
The year’s total of 40 entrants for both youth
scholarship programs is a record for the post.
Other community groups that the post
has supported over the years include youth
sports programs, Scouting, the West Mifflin
Area Senior High School Air Force Junior
Reserve Officer Training Corps, and the
Greater Pittsburgh Soapbox Derby.
In addition to the commander’s new hat
and certificate, VFW Post 914 received a
name badge, a lapel pin and a red, white and
blue All-American Post streamer to hang on
its unit flag. According to Bradich, the credit
for earning this hardware belongs to the post
membership and the community—not to
him.
“I’m just the lucky guy who gets to hold it
for our borough and our post,” he said.
For more information about VFW Post
914 and its activities, contact Commander
Bradich at 412.464.9838.
manufacture date on yours today.”
If you forgot to check your devices
when you turned your clocks back,
please do so now.
Smoke alarms detect and alert
people to fire in its early stages,
giving them the time needed to
escape safely. When working properly,
smoke alarms can mean the difference
between life and death. More than onethird (38%) of home fire deaths result from
fires in which no smoke alarms are present.
The risk of dying in a home fire is cut in half
in homes with working smoke alarms, while
three out of five home fire deaths result from
fires in properties without working smoke
alarms. Newer models of smoke alarms have
long-lasting batteries that do not need to be
replaced, but thousands of homeowners still
have models that use standard alkaline
batteries that must be replaced regularly. No
matter what type of smoke alarms are used in
a home, they should be tested monthly.
Most home fire deaths happen when
people are asleep, between 11 p.m. and
7 a.m. That’s why the U.S. Fire
Administration recommends the
installation of smoke alarms in every
bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area,
and on every level of the home including the
basement.
Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of
accidental poisoning deaths in America,
according to the Journal of the American
Medical Association. Carbon monoxide can
accumulate to hazardous levels in a short
period of time, which is why it’s critical that
there are working carbon monoxide detectors
in your home. Just like with smoke alarms,
some models use batteries and must be
checked and replaced regularly.
A local Mon Valley Veterans of Foreign
Wars post has been nationally recognized as
one of the best run in the United States.
West Mifflin’s Veterans of Foreign Wars
Post 914 Intrepid was awarded the title of
All-American Post at the VFW National
Convention held in July in Charlotte,
NC. The post recently received its official
citation in the mail. It is one of eight posts
in Pennsylvania to be accredited with the
VFW’s highest award.
“This is a fantastic honor for the post
and our community,” said VFW Post 914
Commander Jake Bradich, who now wears a
red, white and blue hat symbolic of the unit’s
achievement. “By winning this award, we
are showing that not only is our post behind
supporting our veterans, but the borough of
West Mifflin is square in our court as well.”
To be selected as an All-American
post, the West Mifflin unit had to excel at
membership growth, support VFW student
scholarships, conduct a veterans hospital
visitation program, and fundraise to assist
the VFW’s network of service officers. It
also had to qualify as an All-State post—an