How involved is the fire department in your community?

[peterose313 345]

This weekend I took my 3 year old nephew over to the Pleasantville Fire Department Holiday Party where he got to meet Santa and such as it was open to the public. Afterwards we were able to hang out while the P'ville Fire Dept. band played music and everyone could converse with one another over various treats, hot chocolate, etc. They also put a few of their rigs on display outside the house and it got me thinking about what do other departments do for the general public as a way to give back to your community? Also, in years past, the Pleasantville Fire Department went around the community with Santa riding with an engine for a night.

I know we do something of similar nature in my community but the fire department isn't involved, it's sponsored by the community center. I really can't think of very much that mine does besides being involved in the annual street fair that's sponsored by the village and they go around to the schools and talk to the kids about fire safety during fire safety week/month.

From a taxpayer standpoint, it's good to see the fire department getting involved with the community like this. It will pay dividends in the long run if you ask me. This applies to all the departments in the area who do things like this, not just Pleasantville.

Anyways, just a curious thought I had.

Note: I will have photos from this event and of some of their rigs that were on display up eventually.

Edited December 13, 2011 by peterose313

[conman 40]

We run Santa every year a week before Christmas to give out candy canes. We are running this Saturday.

[FireMedic049 597]

We are a small career department and we are involved in the community on multiple fronts - Department, Union and Personal.

On the department level, we provide fire safety/prevention education to the community. This consists of annual visits to the schools to talk to the kids, fire extinguisher training, fire safety talks for businesses and assisting with fire drills in certain facilities. We also have a fire safety trailer that we take to various community events during the year. We also do pre-arranged station tours and welcome walk-in visits. We also do fire safety inspections for all private dwellings when a change of ownership takes place to ensure they are up to code. We also do commercial fire inspections, both at change of ownership, during the construction/renovation process and to satisfy annual requirements for some occupancies.

We also participate in various ceremonies and parades in conjunction with holidays like Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, Flag Day, Christmas, etc. We participate in local National Night Out events. We patrol the city along with the PD and EMS during trick or treating.

On the Union Local level, we do charitable fundraising for various organizations. This year we did the annual Boot Drive for MDA, held what we hope will be an annual Kickball Tournament to benefit a local organization that helps kids with special needs, we have a drop off container for aluminum cans for recycle whose proceeds go to a local burn center foundation and we sell specially designed pink t-shirts for Breast Cancer Awareness, the proceeds go to a local foundation that assists breast cancer patients.

We sponsor a little league baseball team and help sponsor a softball league for kids with special needs. We purchase ads in programs for some of the local sports teams, school plays, etc. We donate money to other local charitable organizations. We just completed a coloring contest in the elementary schools in conjunction with fire prevention month in which we awarded a new bicycle and helmet to one girl and one boy in each school.

We help sponsor our local parades and helped sponsor the fireworks display at one our biggest annual community events. We participate in an annual Christmas tree decorating contest. We are also involved in the local political scene - attending Council meetings, endorsing candidates.

On a personal level, most of us live in our city and are involved in the same things other residents are. Some of our guys coach our little league team. Some of our guys coach other teams in the community. We have guys that work the polls on election day. We have guys that donate time to various organizations/churches.

There's probably more, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head right now.

[Remember585 815]

When they call us, we show up.

Oh, and we do the following;

- School visits with the apparatus

- Support Little League teams

- Fire Prevention education at the elementary school

- Fire Fair (our annual open house teaching fire prevention and safety

- Assist with local events such as Harry Chapin Run for Hunger, Half Ironman, etc.

- Firehouse tours for scouting and other groups

- Most winters, we put down water to help the skating pond freeze for everyone's use

- When our High School teams have won recent titles, we provide escorts back to the school & around town

- In the past, we've provided CPR training to local groups

- Annual Candy Cane Runs bringing Santa around town

- Bring Santa to local holiday festivities

I'm not sure if this counts as doing things for the community, but in addition to the information on our website, we periodically share fire prevention and safety information in local newpapers and online news feeds.

There's a lot more that I know we have done and will do, but that's all I can think of at 1AM...

Every fire department should be visible (in the good way) to their community. Our community's should be proud of their fire department and not have a feeling that we're a bunch of strangers. They call on us during their worst times, so if we show our faces in good times, it may soften the blow when they really need us.

[peterose313 345]

Every fire department should be visible (in the good way) to their community. Our community's should be proud of their fire department and not have a feeling that we're a bunch of strangers. They call on us during their worst times, so if we show our faces in good times, it may soften the blow when they really need us.

That was basically the whole reasoning behind my thought. Doing things that some of you listed above goes a long way, at least in my book. When the fire departments do that sort of thing, the public gets to see all of you outside of your turnout gear and not at their place of residency which, hopefully will reflect a positive image. That's my opinion anyways, I can only speak for myself as a non ff.

Edited December 15, 2011 by peterose313

[DR104 141]

White Plains Santa Express Rides Again

whiteplains.patch.com

The White Plains Professional Firefighters Local 274 made their annual rounds spreading holiday joy throughout the city Wednesday with the Santa Express...

http://whiteplains.patch.com/articles/santa-express-2011#comments_list

Edited December 15, 2011 by DR104

[Guest alsfirefighter]

On a department level not as much as I would like to see and do.

On an union level we do many things for the community and have been continuing to do more and more. We do a fire prevention poster contest in the elementary schools during fire prevention week, recently wore pink and raised money for our local breast cancer treatment center, sponsor a little league team, raised funds for the wounded warrior project and have a few more things planned for next year in addition to those above which we will do again.

[PFDRes47cue 653]

This weekend I took my 3 year old nephew over to the Pleasantville Fire Department Holiday Party where he got to meet Santa and such as it was open to the public. Afterwards we were able to hang out while the P'ville Fire Dept. band played music and everyone could converse with one another over various treats, hot chocolate, etc. They also put a few of their rigs on display outside the house and it got me thinking about what do other departments do for the general public as a way to give back to your community? Also, in years past, the Pleasantville Fire Department went around the community with Santa riding with an engine for a night.

I know we do something of similar nature in my community but the fire department isn't involved, it's sponsored by the community center. I really can't think of very much that mine does besides being involved in the annual street fair that's sponsored by the village and they go around to the schools and talk to the kids about fire safety during fire safety week/month.

From a taxpayer standpoint, it's good to see the fire department getting involved with the community like this. It will pay dividends in the long run if you ask me. This applies to all the departments in the area who do things like this, not just Pleasantville.

Anyways, just a curious thought I had.

Note: I will have photos from this event and of some of their rigs that were on display up eventually.

Glad you and your nephew had a good time. Not to speak on behalf of the department, but we enjoy doing this every year. We still do the Santa run on Christmas Eve...I actually have been Santa for the past two years and have taken on the task of planning the evening. Unfortunately this year I will be driving the truck and not playing Santa...my buddy wants to be Santa as part of his b-day celebration.

We also bring the trucks to the elementary school every year for fire prevention and truck tours. The firehouse is open whenever someone is in it to give a tour.

If you don't treat the community well, why should they treat you well? Who will get the trucks out? Treating the public well and getting out there is a no brainer for me.