8 - A SALUTE TO OUR EMS • CHESTER SATURDAY May 17, 2008

Chestertown firefighters ready to help out By Thorn Randall thom@denpubs.com

CHESTERTOWN — History is an important aspect of the of the Chestertown Fire Department, but the agency is also noted for being progressive.

The Department was established in Oct. 1933 — 75 years ago this year — and among the founders was Dr. Howard Swan, the great-grandfather of the present fire chief, Richard M. Swan.

Community leaders convened that year, after several dev­astating fires, to found a company that would protect the lives and property of the townspeople.

This 75th anniversary will be celebrated this year, proba­bly with a picnic, parade and festivities, Chief Swan said.

The Chestertown firefighters' love of history prompted them to retain a 1957 Mack fire truck —and keep it in active service — for a full 50 years before it was retired last year.

This bond with history, however, does not mean the Chestertown Fire Dept. shuns evolution in firefighting.

The agency keeps up with the latest trends and training. In this vein, the Chestertown Fire Dept. was one of the first in the region to welcome female members into their ranks.

Eight women now serve in the fire dept. The agency has established a Firefighter Assist Search

Team, a rapid-intervention squad that is trained to extricate firefighters — and fire victims — from deadly situations. Thirteen firefighters of the fire department's roster of 49 ac­tive members are trained and certified for this elite group.

Their love of history didn't prevent them from building a new firehouse, which is about four times the size of their for­mer firehouse on Church St.

The new facility, at the intersections of state Rtes. 8 and 9, is large enough to serve as a community emergency shelter.

The fire dept. moved into their new headquarters, which has four bays and a large training center, in January 2005.

This new firehouse won a national award last year for its layout, function, cost-efficiency and design.

Tallying an average of 115 calls per year, the firefighters respond to brush and forest fires as well as car crashes and structure fires, which are becoming fairly rare.

The fire department members are known for their quick response to mutual aid calls, primarily to assist the neigh­boring fire companies of Bolton, Warrensburg, Pottersville and Minerva, Chief Swan said.

V'Area companies know they can count on our members to back them up," he said.

Front Row: Daren Harvey, Dennis Packer, Allen Fish, Matthew Harpp, Todd Hamblin, Wayne Kennedy Jr., Josh Kennedy 2nd Row: Jim Searles, Raymond Stephens, Larry McAvey, Alan Meade, Chris Stiles, Alan Bierhoff, James Evans, Wayne Kennedy Sr. 3rd Row: Greg Bennett, Joseph Bartlett, John Crossman, Tim Brower, Robert Swan, Ralph J. Bartlett, Richard J. Swan, Brandon John­son, Richard M. Swan (Chief), Jack Crossman, Russell Lail Jr. Top Row: Lindsay Swan, Christy Swan, Pamela Crossman

Chestertown Volunteer fire Dept Richard M. Swart — Chief, Richard J. Swan — President, Jack Daren Harvey, Joshua Kennedy, Wayne Kennedy Sr,, Wayne

Crossman — 1st Asst, Chief, Ralph Bartlett — 2nd Asst. Chief, Kennedy Jr., Jean LeGueim F^ussell Lail, Tina LaPelL Larry Brandon Johnson—Captain1, William Rohm—1 st Lieut., Joseph McAvey, James'McDermott, Alan Meade, Donald Morris, Dennis Miller—2nd. Lieut.; Todd Hamblin—Treasurer, Laurie Bartlett Packer*, Jared Pefeau^Zhanna PendelL, Elizabeth flohrn, David —Secretary, Harry'Balz, Joseph Bartlett, Robert Bartlett, Grego- Scrogglns, James Searles, Joseph Slattery,-Rayr/iond Stephens, ry Bennett, Alan Bierhoff, Jabk Bowen,Tim Brower, Stephen Burch Robert^Stepherts, Chris Stiles, Eric Swan, Kyle Swan, Lindsay, Jr., Christy Garperiter, JphnGarpenter^John Crossman, Pan > Swan, Robert Swan, t^ulgZarrietskL' c ;, ' \ , ' * < *,/,.?« Crossman; James Evans,'Allen Fish, Remy-jfraiier^ Matt Harpp,"- ~ - « * - • * - - . - » '-,oa, i$ , • ^-j/*".* -, ' ~

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SATURDAY May 17,2008 CHESTER * A SALUTE TO OUR E^S -9

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By Thorn Randall thom@denpubs.com

BRANT LAKE — Founded in the mid-19408, the Horicon Volunteer Fire Dept. has expanded its capabilities through the decades to include a wide range of incidents, includ­ing ice and water rescues.

This firefighting team from Brant Lake has a fully trained and equipped water rescue team, which under contract with Warren County, responds to incidents from as far away as Putnam, Schroon and all the water­ways spanning the county. The Water Rescue Team was formed in 1996 to help save lives on the many waterways in the lower Adiron-dacks.

Not only do its volunteers have the latest in training, but they have an air-boat that glides over both water and ice.

The primary service area of the Horicon Fi're Dept. is the town for which it is named, incor-

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porating an expanse of about 52 square miles and a population of 1600 that swells to about 4,500 in the summer months. The influx is pri­marily visitors as well as hundreds of children attending several major summer camps in town, whose safety the fire company mem­bers are dedicated to.

The Fire Dept. members enjoy their special­ized equipment, which includes- a rescue-bog-gan which is a snowmobile with a toboggan in tow which can safely and comfortably transport injury victims far distances over deep snow.

The Fire Dept. responds to about 110 calls per year, which can include operating their Jaws of Life at a 1-87 Northway crash, to as­sisting at EMS calls, to structure fires, to brush and forest fires. Last year, the agency respond­ed to several forest fires, including one at Sec­ond Brother Mtn., an effort that kept the Hori­con firefighters busy for a full day.

See HORICON FD, page 15

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By Thom Randall thom@denpubs.com

CHESTERTOWN —'The North Warren Emergency Squad's lengthy roster shows off not only the agency's depth of talent but its commitment to training. *

This busy emergency squad covers 162 square miles of territory, around the clock, with three ambulances.

Their wide and active territory prompted the company, which spun off from the Chestertown Fire Dept. in the mid-1990s, to hire six full-timer employees to handle any medical emergency that might arise.

This staff is backed up by dozens of vol­unteers who routinely assist in emergency incidents, resulting in fast, efficient service when needed. Generally, the second and third shifts daily arecstaffed completely by volunteers. • . •. . ' Last.yeari the squad logged 757 calls.

The majority of calls are medical, from a wide service area that includes Chestertown

and its hamlets including Adirondack and Pottersville, as well as Horicon and Brant Lake.

The North Warren Squad works well with neighboring squads, including Horicon and Pottersville firefighters who are first respon­ded, stabilizing and preparing patients for transport by the North Warren crew.

North Warren's, expansive territory and long, distance from area hospitals means it's not uncommon for all three ambulances to be out on the road at once on different calls,. This distance also means travel times are lengthy, and calls take an average of 2 and a half hours, round trip.

All of North Warren's ambulances artful­ly equipped for Advanced Life Support, in­cluding direct telecommunications with the hospital. North Warren is working now to establish telemetry, or real-time transfer of

, medical monitoring data from the patient to the hospital. ,• ,-.-

See N . W A R R E N EMS, page 15

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