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Cold Spring's Junior Firefighter Academy Graduates Forty Future Firefighters
N. Highlands and PV Fire Departments kept busy with weather-related calls
by Emily Stewart
Forty Philipstown children, ages eight to thirteen, graduated from the Fourth Annual Junior Firefighter Academy last Saturday, July 29, 2006. It was the Academy's largest class ever.
The Junior Firefighter Academy, founded and directed by Cold Spring Fire Company Chief Daniel Valentine, was offered free of charge, and gave children a taste of what it's like to be a firefighter. Kids were instructed in fire safety and prevention, the use of fire-fighting tools, CPR and how to dial 911. Teamwork and respect for others were emphasized.
Activities included physical exercises, a car fire demonstration, an evacuation from a "Fire Safety House," and a field trip to the American Museum of Fire-fighting in Hudson, NY. Stephanie Spear, Captain of the Philipstown Ambulance Corps, gave a CPR and first-aid demonstration for the children.
Chief Valentine got the idea for the Jr. Firefighter Academy from a police camp he attended when he was younger. The Jr. Firefighter Academy he created four years ago began with 20 children and was the first of its kind in the country. After word of it spread via internet, newspaper and television, four other fire departments, two in Pennsylvania, one in Ohio and one in Hawaii, picked up on the idea and now offer similar programs to their youngsters.
During the week-long academy, firefighters were lucky to have good weather and no emergency calls. Although the academy ran from 9am to 3pm every day last week, the firefighters put in much more time to organize and prepare.
Other firefighters who assisted in the academy included Ex-Chief Joe Etta, Capt. Tom Merrigan, Lieutenants Matt Steltz and Greg Phillips and Firefighters Dan Valentine Sr., Lillian Moser, Nicole Miozzi, John Westpfal, and Robert Downey. John McGuire Jr., Michelle McGuire and Carol Valentine also assisted with the academy, as did Philipstown Ambulance Corps Captain Stephanie Spear.
Many local businesses sponsored the Jr. Firefighter Academy, which would otherwise have cost about $100 per child. The Rombout Fire Department let the academy use their Fire Safety House for the evacuation exercise.
Nearly 70 people filled the Cold Spring firehouse to watch the Junior Firefighters graduate. Chief Valentine led the ceremony and presented the children with awards and certificates of graduation. "The kids learned a lot this week and so did we," said Valentine. Graduates of the Academy were invited to help with Fire Prevention Week presentations at the elementary school during the first week in October. After the ceremony, refreshments were served and children were allowed to play on the fire trucks.
The graduates were enthusiastic about every aspect of the academy, from the car fire demonstration to the physical fitness program. Yes, even the pushups were popular. The museum was the favorite activity among many of the children as they loved seeing the antique fire trucks. Their response to the academy was unanimous: the graduates wanted to do it again next year. "We covered everything," Miller Francis, 12, said. "And I learned a lot. I'm going to do it again!" Other local fire departments and ambulance corps were also busy last week, but with the more serious side of their business.
The Philipstown Ambulance Corps received 11 calls.
The North Highlands Fire Department responded to an automatic alarm on July 23, at Lake Surprise Camp. There was no fire, however. On the 24th, wires came down at 19 Boulder Rd and East Mountain Road North, near Brookside Trailer Park. On Wednesday the 26th, they responded to another false automatic alarm at Stonecrop Gardens on Route 301. On the 27th Lake Surprise Camp held a fire drill and forgot to warn the alarm company, causing the NHFD to be dispatched.
Also on the 27th, the NHFD responded when power lines were arching in a tree. The situation was then turned over to Central Hudson Electric Company. On the 29th, the NHFD responded to a call from a malfunctioning automatic alarm at Stepping Stone, at 345 Route 301.
A Philipstown Blood drive will be held this Friday, August 4th at the North Highlands Fire Department from 2:30 to 8pm. There will be a free Barbecue for all participants. Hot dogs, hamburgers, soda and water will be offered.
The Putnam Valley Firehouse was quiet until last Thursday, when the calls started rolling in. At 6:44 am on July 27, the PVFD were dispatched to a fuel spill at D&V Deli on Oscawana Lake Rd in Putnam Valley. The station was getting a fuel delivery when, according to preliminary reports, a relief valve may have malfunctioned, releasing a reported five to ten gallons of gasoline. The PVFD applied absorbent pads as well as "Speedy Dry," an absorbent material similar to kitty litter. A spill number was obtained and the scene was turned over to the cleaning company contracted for Warex Terminals, the transportation carrier for the fuel.
At 7:22 pm that same day, the PVFD came to the scene of a reported motor vehicle accident on the northbound side of the Taconic Parkway. Upon arrival, it was determined that there were no injuries. The motorists refused medical attention from the Alamo medic, and the scene was turned over to the New York State Police.
On the 28th, the PVFD was told that a tree was down on wires, and that the wires were burning in the road in the area of 607 Peekskill Hollow Road. Upon investigation, it turned out that it was actually a tree limb lying on the primary electric lines hanging over one lane of the road. The fire department notified NYSEG, as well as the county highway department.
Less than an hour later, at 5:25pm, the PVFD was called about a tree in the town park that was down on wires and told that the wires were burning. Upon arrival, the fire department secured a safety zone around the tree and the burning wires and awaited the arrival of NYSEG. At 7:15pm the wires burned through and fell to the ground, igniting a small brush fire, which firefighters quickly extinguished. Later, NYSEG arrived and shut off the power and the scene was cleared at 7:55.
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