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Lewiston No. 1: Serving community for over 100 years

Mon, Jun 26th 2017 07:00 am
Meet & greet fire co. members at Lewiston Fire Co. No. 1 open house
By Terry Duffy
Editor-in-Chief
Lewiston Fire Co. No. 1 invites the community to the return of an annual fire company tradition.
Fire Chief Les Myers announces the Lewiston No. 1 open house will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 8, on the grounds of the firehall complex, 145 N. Sixth St., in the Village of Lewiston.
"Our open house allows the community to meet with their neighbors who are a part of Lewiston No. 1 and to see our equipment and capabilities," Myers said. "Although we always hope that we don't have to meet suddenly in an emergency, knowing that we will be there to help should help make a bad situation better."
A family-fun event, the open house will highlight the numerous areas of responsibility Lewiston No. 1 members are typically engaged in. Included will be fire safety education featuring a live burn demonstration; a look inside the smoke room maize; fire engine and fire boat equipment demonstrations; emergency medical services, including blood pressure testing and glucose screening for visitors; and member-guided tours of the firehall.
"It is very exciting to bring back our traditional open house, which used to be a staple family event for our community," Fire Co. President Matthew Grainge said. "I would like to personally invite all those interested to bring their families down for this event. At Lewiston 1, we find it to be very important to invite our residents to our fire station so they can meet our volunteers and see firsthand what we do. The members of Lewiston 1 take pride in serving their community and are excited to once again put this event on for our residents.
"We will be closing down the street and have many activities planned. Families will be able to watch our firefighters put out a live fire and learn about fire safety, use hose lines to extinguish simulated fires, crawl through a smoke maize and more."
Other planned activities that day include a Mercy Flight WNY landing with demonstrations of its services and helicopter; the Niagara County Sheriff's Office driving simulator; and K-9 unit and car seat safety demonstrations from the Lewiston Police Department. Sparky the Fire Dog will be on site for the kids and the fire company will serve complimentary hot dogs, hamburgers and refreshments.
Serving the northern Niagara community for more than 100 years, Lewiston No. 1, an all-volunteer company, provides comprehensive fire and medical services 24/7. In the past year, Lewiston No. 1 responders have answered more than 900 fire and rescue calls, which included six structure fires, 48 motor vehicle accidents and five gorge and water rescues in the lower Niagara. In addition, fire company members completed more than 2,900 hours of training.
Just this spring, Lewiston No. 1 members were among those recognized at the annual Mount St. Mary's Hospital "Salute to EMS Awards Dinner." Lewiston No. 1 EMS crews, which includes Chief John Penzotti, First Assistant Chief Michael Salada, Capt. Matthew Gallagher, firefighter/EMT Michael Penzotti, EMT Grainge and firefighters Jason Naples and Michael Richards, were presented with the "Best Save" award for their response to an April rollover accident on Ridge Road that left passengers entrapped in a vehicle.
Lewiston No. 1 volunteers welcome readers to visit and see what fire company service is all about.
"We are excited to open up our hall and showcase our equipment and demonstrate what we do," Fire Co. Director Susan Milano said. "Often, the community isn't fully aware of the extent of services that our volunteers provide until they or their loved ones have an emergency. Education and prevention are essential to making our community a safer place to live."
Lewiston No. 1's recruitment effort is ongoing. The company accepts applications from potential members ages 16 and older for firefighters, EMTs, fire police and scene support personnel. Stop by on July 8 to discuss opportunities in fire service to the community.
When visiting, Lewiston residents are also reminded to bring along their pre-mailed fire company donation card to the open house for a chance at winning a Vizio 40-inch smart HDTV. Completed cards with a donation to Lewiston No. 1 make one eligible to win. The drawing will be held that day.
For more information, visit www.lfd1.com.

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