By Whitney Donohue
Moapa Valley Progress
The Logandale Fire Department held its annual Open House on Friday, with representatives from a variety of different support services on hand to talk about services and give tours of their rigs. About 275 people attended the event.
Medic West was there with a fully stocked ambulance, minus patients, of course. The Station 73 ambulance was there as well, so people could compare the two.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police were on hand, occasionally turning on the sirens for the kids, and letting them take a look inside the car.
The BLM Wildland Fire Management team was available, discussing what their team does, answering questions, and giving tours of their rig.
Mercy Air, a part of Air Methods, was on hand with a Flight for Life Helicopter. Mercy Air now has a helicopter based at Station 2 at the Mesquite Airport. This has brought their response time down from 35 minutes to around 15. Flight for Life flies most patients to Las Vegas, but will occasionally fly patients to St. George.
Mesa View Physical Therapy performed many health checks, including blood pressure, balance, and weight. They also completed Body Mass Indexes for anyone who requested one.
The Nevada Safe Fire Council handed out paperwork about wildfires. The Nevada Safe Fire Council recommends that homeowners have an evacuation plan that ensures everyone in the family is aware of easy exits, establishes a meeting place for the family, and considers what to do with pets and livestock, if necessary.
The Community Emergency Response Team had a display table set up. Organizer Cindy Hardy explained the use of 72-hour emergency kits and what to put in them. “It’s important to be ready for an emergency, whether it be a fire, flood, or other emergency,” Hardy said.
The newly developed Angels for Heroes group was on hand as well. The Angels group was developed by Evonne Burris as a support group for the local fire departments. Angels for Heroes is in the start-up phase. Their first meeting will be held in the meeting room at Station 73 on May 23 at 7pm. For more information on this group,call Evonne at 702-397-2013.
Moapa Valley Rotary sent up their own smoke at the grill, barbecuing hot dogs and hamburgers for the event. Moapa Valley High School Honor Society provided service wherever needed.
Displayed in the middle of the firehouse was a 2011 Polaris RZR, which the fire department is raffling off in November. Tickets are available from any station member for $10, or you can purchase them online at www.logandalefirerescue.org.
The evening ended with firemen using a donated van to demonstrate extrication techniques, including cutting the doors off of the vehicle.
