BLS Skills Review & Testing

20 members from various EMS agencies attended a BLS Skills Review on this date. Students were taken thru a variety of skills stations including vitals assessment, airway management with CPAP use, immobilization, and assisting the Paramedic. Each student had a set number of skills that they were shown and then perform for the instructors onsite. At the beginning of the class each student was required to complete a 40 question BLS level test. This test will be used to guide our training for calendar year 2014. For those students from Kirwan Heights, we added a scavenger hunt to the night. Students were asked to hunt for equipment on each of our 4 EMS vehicles.

Special thanks goes to Dr. Micha Campbell for attending and to Timothy P. McDonald for all of the hard work in getting this class off the ground.

We will be making this class mandatory for all of our EMS providers in calendar year 2014.

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Photos courtesy: T. McDonald

S.C.B.A. Tactics and Training

Our inhouse instructor Timothy McDonald was given the chance to host a self-made class at the Allegheny County Fire Academy. S.C.B.A. Tactics and Training is a non-fire traing class designed for all level of firefighter. Each participant was placed on breathing air and asked to do a variety of task. These tasks included search and rescue, simulated fire suppresion, ladder ascent and descent, exterior fireground operations, and interior overhaul operations.

With the design of fire safety systems and today's home / commercial construction, it is imperative that all firefighters continue maintain competency with regards to S.C.B.A. use and comfort. Over the course of a year, members of the department may only get approximately 50 hours of time actually breathing through an S.C.B.A. on an emergency scene. This means that it is important for continued training.

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Photos courtesy: T. McDonald

Congratulations…

Please thank the following persons for their continued commitment to training. Timothy McDonald, Chad Paget, and Mike Tomnay have successfully passed professional proboard firefighting tests. Tim and Chad have become certified at Firefighter II. Mike has completed Firefighter I testing. Each of these certifications will benefit the department as we progress towards 100% compliance with the PA State Fire Academy's Participating Department Program. These are truly great individual achievements for each member.

Thank you for your continued devotion to training.

Chartiers Valley High School Drama Department

Kirwan Heights Fire Department and EMS wants to thank the Chartiers Valley High School Drama Department for allowing us to participate in their lib dub video. Please take a look at the video. Chartiers Valley's Drama Department is entered in a contest to win $5,000.

http://youtu.be/Ga5ZEQ3j4oM

Photos courtesy: J. Wissel, Jr.

Rennerdale and Kirwan Heights ALS partnership

As it has been reported in the news and by Collier Township, Rennerdale and Kirwan Heights Fire Departments have entered into a partnership to provide Advanced Life Support services to ALL of the residents of Collier Township. Rennerdale Fire Dept. will be staffed during the day with EMTs from Kirwan Heights. Kirwan Heights will provide a Paramedic who is trained in Advanced Life Support techniques. During the evening and overnight periods, volunteer EMTs from Rennerdale will respond along with an ALS ambulance from Kirwan Heights.

This venture is a monumental step forward for the fire departments and residents of Collier Township. It has been 10 years in the making. Please take a few minutes to read the press release from Collier Township and the new article from Trib Live.

Collier Twp. Press Release  •  Trib. Live Article

Search & Rescue

Members of our department took part in a search & rescue drill on Monday night. Members were placed on air using the department's Scott S.C.B.A. then with their masks blacked out, teams of 2 to 3 members were directed into a maze that was setup on our 2nd floor. Each evolution of the drill became slightly harder with the final evolution including a victim and simulated R.I.T. response for a "lost" firefighter.

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Photos courtesy: N. Jackson

Firefighter Wedding

Congratulations to the Earle Allender and Briana Allender on their big day. We are all happy for you. May you have many years of happiness.

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Photos courtesy: M. Lewis

Welcome to Collier Twp…

We would like to welcome the newest Collier Township Police Officer to the ranks. He is one of our own. Mr. Jordan Fascetti was sworn in at the Collier Township Commissioner's Meeting last night. Jordan Fascetti continues to be a member of the Kirwan Heights Fire Department as a Firefighter and Paramedic.

We wish the best to Jordan and his family as they embark on this exciting endevour. Congratulations!!!!

Congrats…

Congratulations to Patrick Saltzman and Michael Quinlan for their successful completion of Firefighter I. Their continued dedication to personal and department improvement is what we look for in volunteers. If you want to volunteer, feel free to click the link on the right column and someone from our department will be in contact with you.

And His Name Is?

Congratulations to the Paget family for the birth of their son. Anthony Xavier Paget, 9 lbs., 3 oz., was born at 08:03 hours this morning. Chad and Deana both report that the birth went well. Mom is doing well. I hear this first thing she asked for was a pint of Rocky Road Ice Cream and a wheelchair van schedule update.

We are proud to welcome Firefighter Tony to the family. Stay tuned for more updates.

Photos courtesy: C. Paget & D. Boggs

Electronics Collection

Kirwan Heights, as part of the Collier Township Firefighters Association (CTFFA), will be participating in an Electronics Recycling campaign. Everyone is invited to donate their old electronics, working or broken, to be recycled. Kirwan Heights, Presto, and Rennerdale Fire Departments are the official dropoff locations.

Reorro.com is the company sponsoring this electronics pickup. A percentage of the money recovered for the recycled electronics will be given back to the CTFFA as a donation.

Event Flyer  •  Reorro.com