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Peters Township Fire Department hosts open house

By Harry Funk staff Writer hfunk@thealmanac.Net 3 min read
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Harry Funk/The Almanac

Melia Ward operates a genuine fire hose, with the assistance of firefighter and emergency medical technician Joseph Gavita, during the open house.

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Harry Funk/The Almanac

Addy Ubinger’s beanbag goes a bit wide during her turn at aiming for a cardboard target depicting flames in the windows of a home, once of the activities for youngsters featured at the open house.

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Harry Funk/The Almanac

Greeting guests for the open house are firefighters, from left, Sherri Bayer, paramedic Richard Colaizzi and Sarah Russell.

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Harry Funk/The Almanac

Sidney Naguit checks the fit of his souvenir Peters Township Fire Department hat during the open house.

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Harry Funk/The Almanac

Deputy Chief Dave Caputo assists Gianna Nickola in a forcible entry simulator set up during the Peters Township Fire Department open house.

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Harry Funk/The Almanac

Delaney Nardine takes part in the kids’ fire safety combat challenge, guided by her father, firefighter Greg Nardine.

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Harry Funk/The Almanac

Sparky the Fire Dog, the National Fire Protection Association mascot, greets guests at the open house.

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Harry Funk/The Almanac

Firefighter Adam Gray gives tossing pointers as Ryan Zinn gets ready to throw a beanbag at a cardboard “structural fire.”

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Firefighter Greg Nardine helps his son, Niko, with the kids' firefighter challenge.

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Harry Funk/The Almanac

Eliana Pauley shows off her friend Sparky during the open house.

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Harry Funk/The Almanac

Mila Nickola participates in the forcible entry simulator.

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Colton Ubinger tosses a beanbag at a cardboard "structure fire," under the supervision of firefighter Adam Gray.

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Nolan Bytnar participates in the kids' firefighter challenge, guided by Greg Nardine.

Youngsters in Peters Township had a little taste of what it’s like to be a firefighter.

From blasting water out of a heavy-duty hose to forcing open a door, children participated in a variety of fun and educational activities during Peters Township Fire Department’s annual open house, held Sept. 25.

“Last year, we did it virtually because COVID was at its peak,” Dave Caputo, deputy fire chief and paramedic, said. “This year, we decided that we could do it safely, just spreading it out a little bit more.”

The event featured a maximum of 125 people at each of three sessions, and most of the activities took place outside.

“We were able to offer almost all of the same things that we offered in the past. We just did not do a large group gathering. We tried to keep everybody separated,” Caputo said. “We did encourage facial coverings, and all of our personnel wore facial coverings for the safety of our guests.”

Several activity stations were set up at the department’s main station, off East McMurray Road, as friendly firefighters guided youngsters through the likes of fire extinguisher training, an introduction to cardiopulmonary resuscitation and a fire safety combat challenge.

And of course, lots of equipment was on display for young and old alike to get a firsthand look at the department’s resources for saving lives.

“This is one of our favorite events of the year, because we get to bring a lot of residents and a lot of people who follow us on social media here to see what we actually do,” Caputo said.

“It’s great to be able to bring people back this year, and to be able to see them in person and not just virtually.”

The open house served as a prelude to Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 3-9. Proclaimed in 1925 by President Calvin Coolidge as a national observance, the week represents the longest-running public health observance in our country.

This year’s campaign by the National Fire Protection Association is “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety!” The goal is to provide education about the different sounds that smoke and carbon monoxide alarms make.

Fire Prevention Week is observed each year in early October to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, which began on Oct. 8, 1871, and killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres of land.

Beyond responding to emergencies, the Peters Township Fire Department offers community services including car seat checks and home safety inspections. For more information, call 724-941-4176 or visit www.ptfd64.org/168/Fire-Department or www.facebook.com/ptfd64.

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