As a volunteer who gets up at all hours of the night, in any kind of
weather, I agree that the siren goes off way too often. Every time someone
calls 911 needing our assistance, the siren blows. If people didn’t have
fires in their homes, the siren wouldn't go off. If children didn’t fall
into the river and get swept away by the current, the siren wouldn’t go
off. If driver’s wouldn’t crash or rollover their cars by driving like
maniacs on 422, the siren wouldn’t go off. If people would stop having
medical emergencies in their homes where EMS calls for assistance from the Fire
Company, the siren wouldn’t go off. The list goes on.
weather, I agree that the siren goes off way too often. Every time someone
calls 911 needing our assistance, the siren blows. If people didn’t have
fires in their homes, the siren wouldn't go off. If children didn’t fall
into the river and get swept away by the current, the siren wouldn’t go
off. If driver’s wouldn’t crash or rollover their cars by driving like
maniacs on 422, the siren wouldn’t go off. If people would stop having
medical emergencies in their homes where EMS calls for assistance from the Fire
Company, the siren wouldn’t go off. The list goes on.
Although the siren does alert our neighbors that they should exercise
caution because firefighters will be responding to the station and fire trucks
will soon be exiting, that is NOT its primary purpose. Similarly, although
we are a 100% volunteer organization, the siren is not a fund raising
tool. Every time you hear the siren, it’s because one of your ‘neighbors’
called needing help, and we need to utilize every means possible to alert our
volunteers to respond. We have also been told many times that hearing the siren after calling for help assures them that help is on the way.
caution because firefighters will be responding to the station and fire trucks
will soon be exiting, that is NOT its primary purpose. Similarly, although
we are a 100% volunteer organization, the siren is not a fund raising
tool. Every time you hear the siren, it’s because one of your ‘neighbors’
called needing help, and we need to utilize every means possible to alert our
volunteers to respond. We have also been told many times that hearing the siren after calling for help assures them that help is on the way.
Let me ask, do you have a cell phone? Have you ever lost your signal
when traveling though the surrounding area? How about when inside a local
building? Has your battery ever gone dead? Do you wear your phone
when working out in the yard and can you hear it over the sound of the lawn
mower? Do you wear it in the pool? Have you ever left the house and
forgotten to bring it with you? Yes, technology is a wonderful
thing...when it works. We routinely have members show up solely because
one of these things happened, but they still heard the siren sounding and
responded to the call for help. If it were you or your loved ones in need
of assistance, wouldn't you want us to show up with enough people to properly
and promptly render assistance?
when traveling though the surrounding area? How about when inside a local
building? Has your battery ever gone dead? Do you wear your phone
when working out in the yard and can you hear it over the sound of the lawn
mower? Do you wear it in the pool? Have you ever left the house and
forgotten to bring it with you? Yes, technology is a wonderful
thing...when it works. We routinely have members show up solely because
one of these things happened, but they still heard the siren sounding and
responded to the call for help. If it were you or your loved ones in need
of assistance, wouldn't you want us to show up with enough people to properly
and promptly render assistance?
The number of calls we respond to continues to grow with every new house
that is built or new business that opens up. But whenever the call for
help comes in, we leave dinner on the table, miss our children's sporting
events, forego Thanksgiving dinner with our families, etc. It’s just what
we do. So rather than think about how the siren may be temporarily
inconveniencing you when it goes off, why not think about the brave men and
women who volunteer to risk their lives to protect you, or the people who have
called at some of the lowest moments of their lives in need of our services, or
the $3.6 million that the volunteer firefighters serving Upper Providence
Township save the taxpayers each and every year, and say a prayer for
everyone to return home safely to their families at the end of the
day.
that is built or new business that opens up. But whenever the call for
help comes in, we leave dinner on the table, miss our children's sporting
events, forego Thanksgiving dinner with our families, etc. It’s just what
we do. So rather than think about how the siren may be temporarily
inconveniencing you when it goes off, why not think about the brave men and
women who volunteer to risk their lives to protect you, or the people who have
called at some of the lowest moments of their lives in need of our services, or
the $3.6 million that the volunteer firefighters serving Upper Providence
Township save the taxpayers each and every year, and say a prayer for
everyone to return home safely to their families at the end of the
day.
If anyone has any questions about the operations of the fire company or would
like to learn more about volunteer opportunities, I encourage them to stop by the
Green Tree Rd Station any Monday night at 7PM (training night) and ask to speak
with me or one of my officers. Feel free to leave me a message at the below number
and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
Thank you for your continued support.
Bill Kasper
Fire Chief
Oaks Fire Co
Black Rock Volunteer Fire Co
(610)666-7965
