Submitted by David M. Przybysz, Assistant Chief
Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the end of winter, COVID restrictions being lifted, and we were looking forward to so many summer activities! Now the leaves are about to change, the air is getting a little crispier in the mornings, and soon we will be opting for sweatshirts instead of shorts.
It was a very active summer at the Chippewa Volunteer Fire Department. Being allowed to once again have group trainings, our members participated in many in house and mutual aid training classes, including live burns and rescue classes. Several of our newer members were cleared to wear air packs and enter structures and others tested and achieved their Firefighter I or Firefighter II certifications!
As to be expected, with more people being active, our call volume increased. We have been responding to an increased number of fire calls, motor vehicle accidents and brush fires, as well as medical calls. We have responded to several Strike Team calls taking us to areas such as Hopewell, New Brighton, and Beaver Falls.
We ask that you be ever vigilant in your driving and daily life. The best prevention of accidents starts not with us at the fire department but with you!
Through grants that were awarded to us, our station received some much-needed upgrades. All our exterior lighting and most of the interior lighting has been upgraded and converted to L.E.D. Now we are not only much more energy efficient, but it also provides a brighter and safer working environment, while improving the aesthetics of the station.
We attended our Community Day event at Wright Fields and what a beautiful night that turned out to be. The Recreation Department did another great job this year. We brought out our trucks for display and our miniature firefighters challenge course for the kiddos. The kids and adults alike kept us busy all evening long! With the band playing in the background, the wonderful aromas coming from the food trucks, and the sunset being reflected in the gleaming paint of the classic cars, it was a perfect night out for everyone!
The biggest excitement for us was the return of our fireman’s carnival! It was a record setting event this year, surpassing attendance records each and every night!
Even with the heavy crowds, it was amazing and refreshing to see how polite everyone was, especially our young people! Just another sign of what a great community we live in. It was very humbling to have so many people thank us for sponsoring the carnival and for protecting the community. For the record, we are proud to do both!
The parade had over 60 participants, the weather was clear and mild, and the fireworks were phenomenal! It just couldn’t get any better!
As always, the support that you showed us was overwhelming.
