The Heavy Vehicle Extrication class was a huge success for members of the Danville Volunteer Fire Department and members of Van VFD, Buffalo Creek VFD and Alpha Natural Resources Employees. Student were instructed on Heavy Vehicle Stabilization through the use of Res-Q-Jacks Stabilization System(s), Heavy Vehicle (and Object) lifting (crush injuries), Extrication and a variety of alternative techniques for patient removal. On hand to oversee the class was Paul Niedbalski and Steve Cavender, both of which are certified extrication instructors. The Vice President for Alpha Natural Resources, Coal River West Unit was on-hand to observe the instruction.

The follow-up to this class will take place at the Boone County Fire School, entitled "School Bus Extrication" where students will be afforded the opportunity to learn in intricacies of school bus extrication and rescue.

Please take a moment to review the pictures taken at the recent Heavy Vehicle Extrication Class:

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

8-5-2010

Danville WV - The Danville Volunteer Fire Department is happy to announce that over the course of the past two weeks, we have ran a "test" of station staffing during the weekends and the test was a complete success. From 8am Saturday morning until 8pm Sunday night, the volunteers of at the Danville Fire Department will be manning the station, on a completely volunteer basis, with a full crew of fire fighters. The manning of the stations will allow for more training and general maintenance and clean-up of the fire station & apparatus, and most importantly, this will substantially decrease response times on the weekends. The staffing will include an officer trainee, two fire fighters and either a senior engineer or officer to assist in training of the other members. Also on staff will be a Chief officer, either on-call or at the station, for more serious incidents. Other fire fighters will also be assigned as needed. As per usual, additional members will be responding to calls from their homes, etc.

This move was made as a suggestion by the membership and has so far proven over these last several weeks to be very beneficial during emergency responses. Chief John Holstein said "...having these members staff the station has dramatically improved response times on the weekends. While response times were low per national standards, normally under 3 minutes, with the additional staffing of the station, we're seeing response times decrease to under one minute. That's something to strive for. Response times like that help save lives and property."

The Danville, Madison and Morrisvale Volunteer Fire Departments along with the Boone County Ambulance Authority, Madison City Police and the Boone County Sheriff's Department, participated in Scott High School's "Mock Car Crash" 2010 on April 30.

This Mock Accident is intended to show students what a serious car collision involving alchol might look like. Scott High students participated as "victims" of the accident, simulating the victims of a DUI crash. Some of these "victims" did not make it and were transported in body bags by the Ambulance service.

The actor portraying the drunken driver was taken into custody by the Madison Police department. Charged with DUI involving a death, this student, if the situation was real, could face many years in prison for his actions.

Members,

Please note the "Training" link at the top and the following page:

Training Page

Members of the Danville Volunteer Fire Department held Fire Prevention demonstrations for classes from Sherman Elementary. Students were transported via School Buses from Sherman Elementary to the Fire Station for instruction in home fire safety. Hand-outs were given to the students and students took a tour of the fire house.

Please click on the link below in order to download the PDF and view the information.

Home Fire Safety for Seniors

Brian Brake, a DVFD Member and his brother Travers made it safely back to West Virginia from Iraq on January 25th. We had a little "Welcome Home Party" for Brian at the station. His family, including his brother, was able to attend.

From brian's welcome home party 2010

http://www.coalvalleynews.com/view/full_story/5621729/article-Fire-Departments-stay-active-in-January?instance=home_news_lead

Fire Departments stay active in January
by Joanie Newman

In the last 19 days that have made up the month of January, the Danville Volunteer Fire Department, alone, has been called out to approximately 21 calls.

This wear and tear on the department’s equipment requires the volunteer crews to be vigilant in the upkeep of their equipment.

This past week, several volunteer fire fighters were seen outside scrubbing and rinsing off hoses and trucks, preparing for the next call that would come into their firehouse.

Icy/Snow Driving:

Mostly intended for our fire fighters as they travel on the roads during these conditions, there's a few safety tips to remember:

1) Watch the use of the "jake brake". Using a jake brake and/or misusing a jake can seriously jeopardize the traction on the truck you're operating. Make sure you know what you're doing before engaging the jake.

2) Give yourself at least three times more space to stop. As we all know, it takes forever to slow a big-truck down. That the space you normally use and multiply that times three to safeguard yourselves and those around you.

3) Also, as we always try to do, put your truck between you and the most dangerous of on-coming traffic. If you're on Rt. 119 work in front of the truck with traffic coming behind you. That piece of apparatus can take a lot more a hit than our personnel can!

and check out these other tips:

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/safety/articles/124638/article.html

http://www.facebook.com/groups.php?ref=sb#/pages/Danville-WV/Danville-Fire-and-Rescue/242539019277?ref=ts