EMMITSBURG,
Md. – Vigilant Hose Company and Emmitsburg Ambulance
have put their differences behind them and teamed up to create
an Fire/EMS Corps.
Vigilant
Hose Company President Art Damuth said, “The Fire
Corps unit will be helpful friends to the department. We
have already had expressions of interest from the community,
and our members are excited to get this assistance.”
The
Fire/EMS Corps creates opportunities to be friends of the
fire and EMS service companies in Emmitsburg and to give
back to the community. Members of the Fire/EMS Corps will
providing non-emergency assistance to Vigilant Hose Company
and Emmitsburg Ambulance Company. From information technology,
website maintenance, vehicle maintenance, assisting with
fund-raising dinners, administrative and record-keeping
and a host of other ways, Fire/EMS Corps members will help
their community become safer and better prepared for natural
disasters, terrorist threats and other emergencies.
“The
Fire Corps is open to people from teenagers to 100 years
old,” said John Hoyle with Vigilant Hose. “Even
if a person likes to build bird houses or make quilts we’d
like them in the Fire Corps because we can use these things
as raffle items.”
Since
September 11, 2001, fire and ambulance service departments
across the nation have struggling with increased demands
for service coupled with reduced funding. In order to respond
to these increasing demands and provide more services to
the community, Vigilant Hose Company and Emmitsburg Ambulance
Company has worked for the past two years to establish their
Fire/EMS Corps and registered it with the U.S. Citizens
Corps.
Mary
Lou Little, spokesperson for Emmitsburg Ambulance Company
said, “These units will be a great help to both departments
and a benefit to improved community service and safety.”
The
Fire/EMS Corps will debut during Emmitsburg Community Day
with a float in the parade.
“After
that, it’s up to each individual organization to recruit
and administer their own program,” Hoyle said.
Fire
Corps, a component of the Department of Homeland Security
Citizens Corps program, is a national grassroots effort
to increase the capacity of volunteer and career fire and
EMS departments through the use of community volunteers
in non-emergency support roles.
For
more information or to become a Fire/EMS Corps volunteer
contact John Hoyle, Vigilant Hose Company, (301) 447-2728,
and Mary Lou Little, Emmitsburg Ambulance Company, (301)
447-6626.
