This week West Mead #1 hosted a Hazardous Materials Operations Refresher class at Liberty Street, sponsored by Crawford County Scuba Team. PA State Fire Instructor and Crawford County EMA Director Allen Clark taught the class, with students from West Mead #1, Vernon Township, Vernon Central, Cochranton, Conneaut Lake, and Union City Fire Departments in attendance. After reviewing defensive operations and air monitoring procedures at Liberty Street station, the class left for the West Mead Township building on Morgan Village Road for hands-on practice. Four groups of students rotated through evolutions using a multi-gas detector for air monitoring, using the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG), ditching and diking to divert run-off, and rescuing victims in hazardous materials incidents. Several firefighters set up a mass decontamination station using two engines, a ladder, and a forestry handline. After a brief break at Liberty Street station, the teams used hard suction hose, ladders, and tarps to build overflow and underflow dams on a small creek along Liberty Street.

West Mead #1 thanks Crawford County Scuba Team for sponsoring the class and Allen Clark for donating his time.

Our 2016 fund drive is in progress. We are now accepting online donations!