Today was a very busy day on top of what has been quite a busy year. BPVFD responded to four 911 alarms, one service call, held multiple meetings, and finished with our weekly in-house training. The topic of discussion tonight was chimney fire strategy and tactics. In addition, two members completed "Principles of Instruction," a NYS Fire Curriculum course held in Dunkirk. The alarms today pushed us past our call total for all of 2017. 🚒🚒
Training Room Update
Having an adequate space to train members is important in any fire department. Our members formed a committee to completely renovate the former "Members Room" into our new and improved Training Room. Over the last month, the entire project was completed by active members of the department from the deconstruction, to the paint, to building the table! As was the plan from the beginning, this room has already seen multiple meetings, trainings, and will continue to see regular use on a weekly basis to continue advancing our services!
Rope Rescue Course
While our fundraiser breakfast was served at the station this morning, 6 members completed their Rescue Technician basic rope training. We are grateful to have so many members dedicated to Fire/Rescue/EMS education and training.
As is often the case, the more an individual is educated, he/she realizes how much MORE training is necessary to master a concept, requiring even more classroom time and experience in the field to even brush the surface.
Linked below is a training matrix of the most common NYS fire service curriculum courses. There are numerous ways to enter emergency services as a volunteer. Send us a message to learn how you could become involved with your local department!
https://www.bemuspointfire.com/education/
Sectional Cross Country Meet
Yesterday, 12 members of BPVFD assisted with Rescue/EMS and traffic control at the sectional cross country meet held at the Bemus Point Golf Club & Tap House. BPVFD was assisted by Ashville FD Car 1, Ambulance, Misc Truck, and ATV for the duration of the event while nearly 600 runners participated. All units were clear by 5PM. Congratulations to the winning teams!
Rescue Technician Class
While the kids were out trick-or-treating last night, seven members of BPVFD reached the halfway mark through their rescue technician training. As more members complete rope rescue courses, BPVFD plans to expand its angled rescue capabilities over the next year. We thank you for your continued support!
New Lifesaving Equipment!
This weekend, BPVFD took delivery of nearly 3,000 feet of fire attack hose and large diameter water supply hose.
Our large diameter hose now is all updated 4-inch diameter hose tested to a higher psi than the old style. Our old style LDH was pressure tested below 200psi, while the new hose is tested at nearly 250psi. Both engines now carry 1,000 feet of this hose. This project completes our mission to move all of our supply hose to a locking-style that is safer, more durable, and more capable of moving large amounts of water. This LDH boasts a burst pressure of 760psi. Additionally, the last 200 feet of large diameter hose on each supply bed is red to indicate to the operator that they are near the end of lay.
We have updated our attack hose from a double rubber coated hose to a poly-urethane lined hose that is lighter, stronger, and produces less kinks. The color coordination of the hose allows our firefighters to know the length of the lay based on the color. This style of hose will allow our pump operators to move more water while fatiguing our firefighters less.
The attack hose and supply hose have been funded solely by donations and two separate grants successfully written by members Jim Steber and Jim Brodell! Thank you to the NYS DEC Volunteer Firefighter Assistance Program and The Chautauqua Community Foundation for your continued support and thank you to the public for continuing to help us help you. Thank you to Travis Rawleigh at Churchville Fire Equipment for keeping us fitted quickly and properly!
Older hose will he donated to neighboring departments in need!
Fire Pump Training
Last week, BPVFD held three in-house trainings on water supply while the county held a state pump operator course. Today, BPVFD graduated two pump operators from the county program!
Jenga - Tuesday Training
Firemen play Jenga too, except with vehicle stabilization equipment and the jaws to pull the blocks! For our weekly training, our FF’s split into two teams to play a type of pseudo-Jenga with the cribbing we use to stabilize vehicles during motor vehicle accidents. We added a twist of fire district and equipment trivia to refresh on district locations and the whereabouts of new equipment on our apparatus!
