The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Volunteer first responders awarded
Presentation of the final two Canastota “Volunteer First Responders Grants” for 2017 took place Wednesday, May 3.
CANASTOTA » Presentation of the final two Canastota “Volunteer First Responders Grants” for 2017 took place Wednesday, May 3.
With Canastota Area Association of Churches President Dave Allen looking on, Volunteer Recognition Chairman Scott Trefz presented a check for $550 to Canastota Volunteer Fire Department PresidentDoug Chandler and Fire Chief Lyle Chafee, to be used in whatever manner the fire company sees fit. (The grants are made possible through careful stewardship of a special fund the CAAC oversees, supplemented by generous community support through donations.)
The exchange was followed by a tour of the fire house led by Chandler and Chafee. Visiting Canastota’s fire hall is a trip through history, including photos going back to the beginning of the service and the original manual pumper apparatus, currently undergoing loving restoration. Along the tour, Chafee pointed out the wall mounted defibrillator the Canastota VFD purchased with last year’s grant money. Allen and Trefz thought that a very fitting expenditure since the fire hall hosts so many public dinners, and strenuous training involved in maintaining firefighting certification could lead to an emergency requiring it. Plans for the 2017 grant are under discussion.
The final stop for this year’s grant presentation happened later that evening at Greater Lenox Ambulance Service, where a foursome of GLAS officers was on hand to receive the check: Doug Jaquays, treasurer, Dario Damore, president, Mary Nicholas, vice president, and Jessica Sharlette, administrator. GLAS is tendering its grant toward a capital building im- provement project, underway for some time now.
Both presentations included a word of prayer by the CAAC officers for the continued safety and success of both companies’ lifesaving work, and blessings on their families for their sacrifices giving up their loved ones to do it. As Chandler remarked, “It’s verymuch appreciated what the churches do in our community, and programs like this (grant) help tie us all together better.”