Stephentown Volunteer Fire Department

This week is National EMS Week. This year's theme is Rising to the Challenge. We want to thank the amazing SVFD team that rises to the challenge with each and every call. We couldn't do it without the ambulance drivers, fire police, officers, and fire fighters who arrive on scene to help us. They assist with lifting, moving patients, grabbing needed supplies, handling scene logistics, sanding icy driveways, traffic control -- you name it, they are there to help us and help our community. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO! --Your grateful EMT Team (Anita, Jen, Paul, Rik)

We are sharing April's report on EMS calls. Many thanks to our mutual aid partners at Hoags Corners Ambulance and Averill Park Sand Lake Fire Department who responded for lift assistance. Thank you to Mohawk Ambulance Service and Chatham Rescue Squad Inc. for their responses for ALS (Advanced Life Support) needs. ... We are so appreciative of all of our volunteer members responding to calls. Many hands make light work. If you're interested in giving back to your community and volunteering, please send us a message.

February is heart health month. Did you know that signs of a heart attack are frequently different for women and men? Knowing the signs can mean the difference between survival and tragedy. If you are concerned you may be having a heart attack, or just not sure, don't hesitate to dial 911 so SVFD EMT's can come to your aid.... https://www.heart.org//secondheartattackfinal_resizedforsc

This morning, Stephentown Chief David Corlew and Assistant Chief Cyril Grant had the honor of attending a "Final Walkout" retirement ceremony for Rensselaer County Dispatcher # 1, Michael Veshia. The ceremony took place at the Rensselaer County Public Safety building in Troy. Michael has been a County Dispatcher for 35 years with 33 of them working the overnight shift! Dispatcher Veshia has handled a great many of Stephentown Fire and Ambulance calls during those 35 years and... we cannot Thank him enough for all of his help during those times. The cermony was attended by collegues, as well as many Fire and EMS Departments throughout Rensselaer County including the Rensselaer County Sheriff's Office and members of Troy Fire. Dispatcher Veshia was given the honor of having his designation, Dispatcher No. 1, retired by the Bureau of Public Safety! From everyone at Stephentown Fire / Ambulance - we wish you a very happy retirement and Thank You for your service and dedication to the residents of the Town of Stephentown. See more

Valentine's Day is made for showing our loved ones how much we appreciate them. We show them with special food, with flowers, and with hearts. On days like this it's important to remember that SVFD is here to come to your aid when a loved one's heart is failing, or when some other crisis puts their lives at risk. This Valentine's Day let's send a shout out to our devoted volunteers who are there when we need them most.... Happy Valentines Day Stephentown, from your volunteers at SVFD!

Hello everyone. I wanted to give a huge social media shoutout to all of the girls and guys of the SVFD that have responded to all of our calls as of late. 10 or 11 calls within a 4 day time period. From structure fires, to EMS emergencies, to traffic accidents, both day and night, you guys rock! The SVFD would not be as successful without everyones help and dedication! Thank you to everyone of you as well that supports us at the SVFD. - Chief Corlew

Move over Kamala, there's another female VP in town! We wanted to check in with SVFD’s EMT, and newly appointed Vice President, Anita Henry, to understand what originally drove her to volunteer with the SVFD, and ultimately step up for the role of Vice President in 2021. Please join us in thanking Anita for taking on this important position, and for her years of service to the community of Stephentown!...Continue reading

SVFD would like to thank the BCS faculty and coordinators of this past Saturday nights "Light up the New Year" event. Students and parents were given the opportunity to drive around to local participating businesses to view light displays to help support all of the students within the BCS district. Shown here from left to right, in car 1, Chief David Corlew, car 2, Assistant Chief Cyril Grant, and in Ambulance 36-36, Safety Officer Chuck Riccardi. The members of SVFD are often running the lights and sirens during emergency situations, so this event was a change of pace in which we were able to proudly display and wave to the students and parents in a non emergency situation.

The Stephentown community well knows how SVFD volunteers regularly go beyond the call of duty to keep community members safe, assisting with all sorts of accidents, illnesses, fires, and crises, but I’ll bet few could believe that eight volunteers have each responded to 100 or more calls in the past year alone! At last night’s SVFD drill, the intrepid folks below received gift cards as a thank you for their selfless efforts on our community’s behalf. Please show your gratitud...e to this amazing 100+ calls crew with a shout out of thanks! 2020 Calls Attended Brett Chmura: 125 David Corlew: 200 Cyril Grant: 100 Anita Henry: 264 Ian Lanier: 129 Rik McClave: 276 Jen Peabody: 208 Tom Quimby: 226 Also, please remember, that even if you do not have the bandwidth to devote this kind of time and effort to the SVFD, every little bit helps, all volunteers are important and valued, and more are always needed! Consider joining today!

There was a great showing of community spirit at the SVFD Fire Hall for the Stephentown Blood Drive on December 28th! This was a very successful drive for a small town thanks to all in the community who came out to donate. We were able to provide the Red Cross with 36 units of blood during this difficult time when the Regional Blood Supply is very low. Special thanks to the Stephentown Memorial Library for organizing the event with the Red Cross, to SVFD for use of the Fire Hall, to Jen, Sarah, Kim, Anita and Vickie for volunteering, and to all who continually give their time to promote, donate, and support the Red Cross in their increasingly important work!

Stephentown Ambulance 36-36 has been awarded $400.00 from the Rensselaer County Legislature.The $400.00 check has been earmarked to purchase an up to date Reeves stretcher to help SVFD EMT's and first responders with accessing and transporting patients that may be in harder to access areas of their homes. This new stretcher will replace a unit that is over 30 years old. Pictured left to right are Stephentown Chief - David Corlew, Assistant Chief - Cyril Grant, District 5 Legislator - Jeff Wysocki, and District 5 Legislator Bruce Pattire, both from Hoosick Falls. Thank you to both for helping Stephentown Ambulance secure up to date equipment to assist the residents of Stephentown.

SVFD would like to share this extremely important seasonal reminder. Many of us prefer a "real" tree at Christmas, The pine smell! The reminders of Christmas past! Just be sure to keep your Christmas tree watered throughout the season! Let's be sure to keep this, and every holiday, happy! Please also have your 911 address readily displayed so that we can find you quickly, should you have a need to call us for any emergency.

With 2021 right around the corner, it's a great time to take stock of all that we are grateful for. If SVFD is one of those things, please consider including us in your year-end charitable donations this year. Please send your year-end donation to: Stephentown Volunteer Fire Department Inc.... 396 State Route 43 - PO Box 208 - Stephentown, NY 12168 Thank you for your generosity!

This Saturday's Community Toy Drive distribution proved to be a highlight of the 2020 Holidays! Due to our community coming together in good will, 26 families, and 64 local children will have a more bountiful holiday this year! Special shout outs to Rensselaer County, SVFD, Dollar General and Stephentown Memorial Library for organizing and managing the logistics.... Thanks to all who gave of their time, effort, and hearts to make the Stephentown Toy Drive a huge success! The words of one grateful parent may say it best! I would just like to thank you for what you all are doing for us it just warms my heart and proves that even though the world is crazy right now there is still good out there . Have a wonderful day and happy holidays!

Your support of the SVFD helps us continue to serve the community! This fall we sent out our annual newsletter marking the department's 80th anniversary as an ALL VOLUNTEER service. You count on our volunteers to answer the call when you are in need. We hope we can count on you to answer our call for financial support. Your contribution can be sent to SVFD, PO BOX 208, Stephentown, NY 12168. THANK YOU!

Sharing some great seasonal safety advice from our friends from the Wynantskill Fire Department!

During this week's drill, we practiced moving and lifting patients on different types of devices, including a standard backboard (yellow), a flexible reeves stretcher (not pictured), and a padded backboard (green). The green backboard provides so much support through its strapping system that you can actually have it in a vertical position without the patient slipping. This is a very handy device when we need to move a patient down stairs. Understanding how to use these different devices is important for the safety of patients and responders. And good teamwork is key. Which is why we appreciated all of the members who participated this week.

Safety tips for building a fire in your wood burning stove Building a safe and efficient fire requires good firewood, and good fire-building practices. To optimize efficiency from your wood burning stove follow these practical steps: Season your firewood outdoors through the hot, dry summer for at least 6 months before burning it. Properly seasoned wood will be darker, have cracks in the end grain, and sound hollow. Store your wood outdoors, stacked neatly off the ground ...with the top covered. Start your fire using clean newspaper and dry kindling. Burn hot, bright fires. In milder weather make smaller fires. Let the fire burn down to coals, then rake the coals toward the air inlet (and wood stove door), creating a mound. Never spread the coals out flat. Add at least three pieces of wood when you reload your wood stove, on and behind the mound of hot coals. Never add one log at a time. Frequently remove the ashes from your wood stove into a metal container with a cover, and store them outdoors and away from your house. See more

Are any Stephentown residents still without power following the storm on October 7? The SVFD will have a dry Ice and bottled water distribution - for all those without power. Where: Stephentown Fire Station... 396 NY Rt 43 When: 5:00 P.M. - 7:00 p.m. today (October 9th.)

#FirePreventionWeek is a good time to remind everyone to be careful in the kitchen. Stay safe, Stephentown!

The Stephentown Flu Clinic date is fast approaching. Don't forget to call one of the numbers under "How to sign up" below to schedule your vaccine!

Do you ever wonder how many calls, and the types of incidents, SVFD responds to in the course of a month? Here's an example of the kinds of calls our team has responded to in August alone. I'm sure you'll agree that's a lot of calls, requiring a good deal of flexibility and expertise, for a small volunteer team!

Local students and teachers reinforce the importance of wearing masks to keep our community safe, in school, ands out!

And now for another in our series of SVFD Volunteer Profiles, let’s zoom in on our newest SVFD EMT, Jennifer Peabody. Many members of the Stephentown community know Jen from her volunteer work at the Stephentown Food Pantry, Celebrate Stephentown, the SVFD, and her work as library assistant for the Stephentown Memorial Library. Apparently, Jen wasn’t busy enough because on top of this and her day job she decided to train to become an EMT for the SVFD, and just recently passed...Continue reading

Another one of 5 "Take Back Events" hosted by the Rensselaer County Sheriff's Department in partnership with the Rensselaer County Executive's Office & the Rens...selaer County Heroin Coalition during the months of September and October. Please be sure to visit with any unused prescription medications at this Drive Thru, contact-less event! Please note, we will not be accepting sharps at any of these locations. See more

None of us love wearing a mask or social distancing. But let's stay strong and keep on keeping each other safe. We're all in this together!

Rik McClave and Anita Henry are among our most reliable and devoted Stephentown Volunteer Fire Department members. If you’ve ever had a circumstance where you’ve needed to call 911 in a Stephentown emergency, you’ve likely had the benefit of Rik and Anita quickly and efficiently coming to your aid. During the COVID pandemic people have responded differently to the idea of wearing masks. In this post we’ve asked Anita and Rik to provide their perspectives on the wearing of ma...Continue reading

Public Health Warning Issued Following Overdoses: Rensselaer County is again seeing a troubling number of overdoses, including fatalities in a 48-hour period th...is week. Since Tuesday, there have been eight overdoses, with three fatal overdoses. The fatal overdoses occurred in Troy, East Greenbush and Sand Lake. County officials said they are concerned with the number of overdoses in a short period of time. Fentanyl has been found to be a factor in the overdoses in the county this week. Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been a significant increase in The county has seen 48 fatal overdoses in 2020, compared to 34 in 2019. In May, the county joined with the City of Troy and others to issue an alert after 30 overdoses in the area, including two fatal overdoses. "The number of overdoses in such a short time this week is an obvious concern, and the reason we are issuing this warning. We want residents to be aware there is reason to be concerned," said county Health Director Mary Fran Wachunas. "We want residents to know there is help and hope for those who are facing addiction, and that seeking help can save a life," said Wachunas. Resources are available to help with those struggling with addiction. To receive Naloxone, test "narcan" to 21000. Calls for Naloxone and fentanyl test strips can be made to the Health Department at 518-270-2655. The county has also established a Recovery Helpline, which can be reached at 833-HOPE-123, or 833-467-3123. See more