DTVFC- Responding, Revitalizing and Recruiting
important contacts for seniors From the Pike County Area Agency on Aging Medicare Plans Available www.medicare.gov Call APPRISE at 800-783-7067 Call Medicare at 800-633-4227 or 877-486-248 (TTY) Or call us at 570-775-5550 for appt. to assist you. PIKE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION Hours 7:30am-4:00pm 570-296-3408 or 866-681-4947 DO NOT CALL REGISTRY If you want to stop those nagging calls from solicitors you can place your phone number on the Do Not Call registry by calling 888-382-1222 or go online to www.donotcall.gov
By George F. Beodeker- President- Delaware Township Volunteer Fire Company In another few weeks the school year will begin again with a modern focus on the old themes of “reading, ‘riting and ‘rethmetic.” As the members of DTVFC pass the midpoint of our 60th year of service to the residents of the township our modern focus is on our own “3 R’s” – as titled above. Certainly as you would expect our most basic tenet of service remains responding to emergencies. Answering the call when one of our neighbors or our numerous visitors are having “the worst day of their life.” However, our mission has become so much more than just fighting fires. Many residents may not be aware that the fire company and its personnel are now, more than ever before “all hazards” responders. Besides a traditional fire response or motor vehicle accident, DTVFC is actively involved in and called to hazardous materials incidents or spills, wildland fires, wilderness searches, rescues and carry outs, road closures and traffic control, water rescues, pump outs and fire prevention activities for the public. In other more suburban areas some of these duties would fall to other agencies or organizations, but in a rural area such as ours the fire department is the agency of choice by default. For our members it means that we are always seeing new challenges on a regular
basis and must be “masters” to the best extent possible of all trades- not just firefighting. We must also adapt to the dynamics of the types of incidents we regularly encounter while maintaining the capability at a moment’s notice to be effective in our most basic mission of fire suppression. For example, the past few years have seen a significant number of responses to areas of the township with the DWGNRA to assist the park service. To better meet those needs the department purchased an ATV and support equipment for those specialized rescues and participated in training necessary to be successful. Fortunately, this summer due to policies within the park, those calls have dropped dramatically. To further improve our capability to respond we are currently in the process of designing and purchasing a new tanker for water supply and researching the purchase of a special “support” truck for response to traffic control, utility emergencies and pump outs, etc. This is all in addition to the new pumper we purchased last year to replace our 15 year truck that was in deteriorating condition. As responses go, our records and reporting indicate that from January 2010 to December 2015 the department responded to 956 calls for emergency assistance or almost 200 per year. 2016 is on track to be about the same again. This doesn’t include the routine
SENIOR LAW CENTER Senior Law Center protects the legal rights & interests of seniors in PA through legal services, referral services and advocacy. Call their helpline at 877-727-7529 PIKE COUNTY AREA AGENCY ON AGING Blooming Grove - 570-775-5550 Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm Dingmans Center - 570-828-7812 Hours: Tues & Fri 9am-3pm Lackawaxen/Shohola 570-685-7808 Hours: Mon, Wed, Thurs 9am-2pm Milford - 570-832-1929 Hours: Wed & Fri 1am-3pm
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LIVING DELAWARE | FALL 2016