MV Fire District Holds Family Fun Day

By JENNA RHUDE

Moapa Valley Progress

A special Family Fun Day was held on Saturday by the Moapa Valley Fire District. On hand were volunteer first responders from the three local fire stations including Station 72 (Moapa), Station 73 (Logandale) and Station 74 (Overton). Also in attendance at the event was the Mercy Air helicopter, local Metro police, the Clark County Fire Prevention Safety House and MedicWest Ambulatory Service.

Laughter from children filled the air as they played on a number of inflatable water slides and rode on a mechanical bull that was provided for them. Parents were enjoying time with their families in a safe and fun way.

Kids were even given the opportunity to put out a fire. This was done by using a fire hose to push over cut outs of flames in a small wooden playhouse.

A big raffle was also held. Dozens of prizes were donated by local vendors and different community businesses. The purpose of the raffle was to recoup some of the cost for the food provided at the event as well as the rentals of the fairgrounds and inflatable equipment.

The person responsible for the event is Captain Alex Arager. Arager volunteers for station 74 in Overton. “I wanted to do this to bring the community together for a fun park day,” Arager said. “I want people to come and play and relax and spend quality time together.”

Arager said that the individuals organizations and businesses in the community had been very supportive of the event. “Everyone in the Valley was very responsive and helpful,” he said. “We have a great people in this community that are always willing to help out.”.

Another purpose of the event was to get important fire safety information into the community. “Family fun day is a good way to teach the community different ways of fire prevention,” said Station 73 chief Tim Deberardinis. “It’s a chance for them to meet their local fire personnel.”

The event was also intended to spark interest in volunteering for the local fire stations. “This valley is in need of more volunteers,” said Station 74 chief Stephen Neel. “We are always looking for new recruits. We need more volunteers for all three stations.”
“This event is a great way for people to come and ask questions and see what is involved with volunteering in this capacity,” Neel added.

Neel said that a volunteer must first show interest, fill out an application (including a background check and fingerprints), pass a medical evaluation to show they are fit for duty and take online courses to help them with the program.
“Volunteering with the fire/paramedic service is also a great stepping stone for employment,” Neel said. “It looks great on a resume, especially if you want to advance into a full time paid position.”.

Neel stated there will be an advanced EMT class starting in October. The fire district also hopes to host a free beginners EMT class in January 2019. Then next summer there will be an entry level firefighter course offered in Las Vegas.

One thing that is new as of July 1 is a monetary incentive program. Each volunteer will receive between $10-$45 for each call depending on their level of experience and qualification.
“By offering this kind of incentive we hope to have more volunteers and improve the quality of service we provide in the Valley,” said Neel.

District officials are hoping to appeal to a variety of different people for volunteering
“For example, stay-at-home moms with all their children in school would make an excellent resource to utilize during school hours,” Neel said.

One local family recently had two members sign up with station 73. “I witnessed a terrible accident a while ago,” said Logandale resident Brandi Hansen. “I saw it happen. My family performed CPR until emergency services arrived. They told us they needed help/volunteers, so my husband and daughter volunteered.”

If anyone would like more information on becoming a volunteer with the local fire department, please contact assistant chief, Greg Witter at 702-493-4173.