Delhi press 041217

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D ELHI PRESS

CELEBRATING

120 YEARS page 3A

Your Community Press newspaper serving Delhi Township and Sayler Park

$1.00

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 2017

BECAUSE COMMUNITY MATTERS

FROM WATER TEST TO WATER BOTTLES Lead test results meant turning off fountains and replacing water lines at St. Aloysius Jennie Key

INSIDE

jkey@communitypress.com

PHOTOS BY THE COMMUNITY PRESS/JENNIE KEY

Morgan Kilby, a second-grader at St. Aloysius on the Ohio, takes a drink from a water fountain at her school. The fountains are working again, following the replacement of lead water lines leading to the school and a reduction in lead levels found in the school’s water.

Last year, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati recommended local parochial schools get their water tested for lead. The Greater Cincinnati Waterworks had reached out through its Enhanced Lead Program encouraging customers to take advantage of free lead testing offered by the utility and provided special outreach to schools and school districts in the service area. Kristen Penley, principal at St. Aloysius on the Ohio, a small school on the city’s west side near the Ohio River, thought it was a smart recommendation. The brick school building was built in the early 1900s and serves children in kindergarten through eighth grade. So Penley, who has been at the school for 15 years, contacted Greater Cincinnati Water Works. In October, the school collected samples from drinking fountains and sinks and returned them to the water works for analysis. The turnaround was quick and results were shocking: all 16 samples showed some lead detected. Measurement is in parts per billion; six of the samples were between 10 ppb and 15 ppb, and three were greater than 15 ppb. The remaining seven were between 5 ppb and 10 ppb. “I thought ‘Holy cow’ and we

For more on school water testing, see page 4A.

St. Aloysius is located on Cincinnati’s west side, near the Ohio River. The school was built in the early 1900s and serves 95 children in kindergarten through eighth grade. The school complex also houses tutoring and after school care for younger students. Forty percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced lunch.

immediately turned off the water fountains,” Penley said. “The water works people said we could simply flush the pipes, but we went ahead and took extra steps.” One of those extra steps was bottled water in the school building. Penley said in her mind, it was the right thing to do. “We

were still lower than the EPA (level of concern which is 20 ppb)” she said. “But we didn’t want to take any chances. We chose to turn the drinking water off. It’s what needed to be done for our staff and our children.” Against the backdrop of the recent water crisis in Flint, Michigan, where lead was discovered in the drinking water, concerns about water contamination were raised for many people. Penley said she immediately set about informing parents. Letters went home that explained the tests, the results and what the school planned to do about the problem. St. Al’s is a small school – 95 students. Penley says the school is like family. And it’s literally true: her own children go there. “I tried to keep it calm, and I think it worked,” she said. An investigation conducted with the school identified the school complex as being served by four service lines. Two of the lines were copper on both the private and public sides, one line was lead on both the private and public side, and one line was copper on the public side and lead on the private side. See WATER, Page 2A

New equipment will help Cheviot Fire in saving lives Forrest Sellers fsellers@communitypress.com

CHEVIOT – The Cheviot Fire Department has added equipment that may tip the scales in a life-threatening situation. In the fall, the department bought two integrated thermal imaging masks and cameras. They were able to obtain this equipment through donations from Norfolk Southern Railway and the Cheviot Eagles. “In a smoky environment, we can quickly scan a room and see where the fire is and the victims are,” said Capt. David Miller. Miller said the department has handheld imaging units but the thermal masks provide additional advantages. “This allows us to conduct a search hands free,” he said. Additionally, the masks have a temperature gauge and display heat levels

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through color. Miller said this is especially beneficial when considering the potential for a flashover, which involves a situation where a fire can spread very rapidly. “If we see the ceiling temperature increase rapidly, we know to get out of there or cool it off,” he said. The thermal masks also allow for better communication through what is called a “speaking diaphragm.” The voice of the firefighter speaking through the mask is digitally converted for clearer communication. Essentially, the message gets out easier and the voice is amplified, Miller said. The Cheviot department is one of the first departments on the West Side to begin using thermal imaging masks. The department also bought new ballistic vests and Kevlar helmets in December through a donation from the Cheviot Fire Association. This is the

same type of gear police officers wear. “To protect others, we have to protect ourselves,” said Chief Robert Klein. Klein said the vests add an additional level of protection. National and local incidents have demonstrated the need for such equipment, said Miller and Klein. Many times paramedics will respond to an emergency in conjunction with the police. “It’s definitely a measure for us to keep our people safe,” Klein said. Fire personnel are also trained in how to respond during active shooter situations. “We wear (the vests) based on risk assessment,” Miller said, adding that so far Cheviot paramedics have only worn the vests during training. The Cheviot Fire Department has 30 part-time employees and eight full-time employees.

THE COMMUNITY PRESS/FORREST SELLERS

Capt. David Miller, left, and Chief Robert Klein with the Cheviot Fire Department hold some of the new equipment the department has obtained. This equipment includes an integrated thermal imaging mask and camera and a ballistic vest and Kevlar helmet.

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The Delhi Press, 312 Elm St. Cincinnati, OH 45202

Vol. 90 No. 16 © 2017 The Community Press ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


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