Stating that “the members of the Technical Rescue Team of the Clinton Heights, Melrose and Poestenkill Fire Departments were directly responsible for saving the lives of numerous Green County residents…” the Greene County Legislature recently publicly issued a Proclamation commending these Fire Departments “for their courage and their tireless work toward the safety and well-being of the residents of Greene County. “
 

     The Proclamation pointed out that “in Prattsville, the Team assisted in the rescue of fifty-six residents who were trapped or confined to their homes; some of the rescuers were under duress with the buildings crumbling.” 
 

     In a similar gesture of gratitude, the Vestal [New York (Broome County)] Fire Department acknowledged Clinton Heights Fire for “providing assistance to us during our recent major flooding that hit our town in September….  Your crews worked right alongside our crews and other mutual aid organizations… to help our community respond to this disaster.”
    

Four members of the Clinton Heights Fire Department were invited to attend Governor Cuomo’s State of the State address, January 4th, 2012 so that they might be recognized as among the several first responders who came to the aid of fellow New Yorkers during Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

Contact: Ed Pratt, Public Information Officer
Clinton Heights Fire Department, P.O. Box 226, 65 Sherwood Avenue, Rensselaer, NY 12144
PIO@clintonheightsfire.com. (518) 369-3976 (C)

In response to a serious structure fire on Monday evening, December 12th, the Clinton Heights Fire Department (CHFD) has been holding an emergency fund drive for the family of four that was driven from their home on that winter night.  At 9:11pm The CHFD was dispatched to 223 Maryland Avenue in the Hampton Manor neighborhood of East Greenbush having been toned out for a working structure fire.  First arriving crews found the rear of the residence as well as the roof in flames.  Quick work by Clinton Heights with the assistance of the East Greenbush and Defreestville Fire Departments had the fire under control in 15 minutes.  The home however, decorated for the holidays, is now inhabitable until extensive repairs and renovations are made given the fire, smoke and water damage.
 

 The firefighters were quick to learn that the family included a four year old girl and just-turned-eight [December 16th] year old boy whose hopes for a happy Christmas were immediately dashed.  The fear and overwhelming sense of loss was apparent and even before the evening was over, there was talk among the fire fighters of how they could assist; most having families themselves and were keenly aware of the joy and expectations of families with young children at this special time of year.
 

Mom and Dad and their two children, Skylar and Madison, are now residing at a local hotel and will be spending their Christmas there.  So in conjunction with the Ladies Auxiliary, members of Clinton Heights Fire have been holding a drive to insure this family does not go without the blessings of the Christmas season.   An appeal has been put forth among neighbors, friends and strangers alike for clothing, toys, gift cards and financial donations to assist.  

On Friday December 23rd, the Auxiliary and Firefighters will be at the fire house (65 Sherwood Avenue) between 4 and 6pm to wrap the presents of toys and clothing that have been donated.  On Saturday, December 24th, at 11:00am Santa and his elves aboard a CHFD fire truck will make a trip to the Residence Inn, Upper Mannix Road, East Greenbush where the family is staying to present Skylar and Madison with a few of the packages Santa has in store for them. 
 

A bank account entitled, “Maryland Avenue Fire Fund” has been opened at Citizens Bank; any branch will gladly accept financial donations.  In the meantime, one may log on to “Clintonheightsfire.com” or their Facebook account to learn up to the minute details of the drive.  District Chief Randy Cherubino echoed the thoughts of all members of the Department when he said, “The members of the Clinton Heights Fire Department are always on call to respond to our neighbors in need be it fire or other misfortune and in doing so we never lose sight of the human dimension of the people we are privileged to serve.  This especially-untimely fire brings the best out of us all.”


Contact: Ed Pratt, Public Information Officer
Clinton Heights Fire Department, P.O. Box 226, 65 Sherwood Avenue, Rensselaer, NY 12144
PIO@clintonheightsfire.com.   (518) 369-3976 (C)

In response to a serious structure fire this past Monday evening [December 12th], the Clinton Heights Fire Department (CHFD) has undertaken an emergency fund drive for the family of four that was driven from their home on that winter night. At 9:11pm The CHFD was dispatched to 223 Maryland Avenue in the Hampton Manor neighborhood of East Greenbush having been toned out for a working structure fire. First arriving crews found the rear of the residence as well as the roof in flames. Quick work by Clinton Heights with the assistance of the East Greenbush Fire and Defreestville Fire had the fire under control in 15 minutes. The home however, decorated for the holidays, is now inhabitable until extensive repairs and renovations are made given the fire, smoke and water damage.

The firefighters were quick to learn that the family included a four year old girl and seven year old boy whose hopes for a happy Christmas were immediately dashed.  The fear and overwhelming sense of loss was apparent and even before the evening was talk among the firefighters of how they could be of assistance.  Most have families themselves and are keenly aware of the hopes and expectations of families with young children at this special time of year.
 

 Mom and Dad and their two children are now residing at a local hotel and will be spending their Christmas there rather than at home.  So in response, in conjunction with the Ladies Auxiliary, members of Clinton Heights Fire have begun a drive to insure this family does not go without the blessings of the Christmas season.   An appeal has begun among neighbors, friends and strangers alike for clothing, toys, gift cards and financial donations to assist.  The most basics of clothing are being provided immediately including winter wear.
 

 Mom wears a size “large” shirt, size nine pants and size 5 shoe; Dad a 2X shirt, 40/30 pants and size 13 shoe.  The boy, age 7 wears a 7/8 boys, and size 1 boys shoe.  The young girl, age 4 wears a 4/5 girls, and size 10 toddler shoe.  Donations of clothing and toys may be made by calling Station 2 at 462-2922 and either arrange for drop-off or pick-up; or simply drop off what one might give at the fire house [there is not someone there 24 hours so gifts may be left at the door].   On Friday December 23rd, the Auxiliary and Firefighters will be at the firehouse at 65 Sherwood Avenue between 4pm and 6pm to accept and wrap whatever presents of toys and clothing (unwrapped) may be donated.  This will be just in time to assist Santa with his Christmas Eve run!
 

 A bank account entitled, “Maryland Avenue Fire Fund” has been opened at Citizens Bank; any branch will gladly accept financial donations.  In the meantime, one may log on to “Clintonheightsfire.com” to learn up to the minute details of the drive.  District Chief Randy Cherubino echoed the thoughts of all members of the Department when he said, “The members of the Clinton Heights Fire Department are always on call to respond to our neighbors in need be it fire or other misfortune and in doing so we never lose sight of the human dimension of the people we are privileged to serve.  This especially-untimely fire brings the best out of us all.”

Contact: Ed Pratt, Public Information Officer
Clinton Heights Fire Department
P.O. Box 226
65 Sherwood Avenue, Rensselaer, NY 12144
pio@clintonheightsfire.com
518 369 3976 (C)

“The Clinton Heights Volunteer Fire Department [CHFD] has been credited with 64 rescues,” according to District Chief Randy Cherubino.  In the wake of Hurricane Irene’s aim at Upstate New York, the New York State Emergency Management Office contacted CHFD mid Sunday morning, August 28th and requested that the Swift Water Rescue Team be deployed to Greene County.  That was 1147am; by 1228pm CHFD Emergency Vehicles Squad 8, Utility 8, the Special Ops Trailer along with Cars 1 and 2 were on the road to the Emergency Response Command Post in Cairo, arriving at 1:12pm along with response partner Melrose Fire.  Cherubino went on to say, “We were immediately requested to bring our team and rescue equipment to Prattsville where extensive flooding and stranded residents were reported.  We were given an escort by the Sheriff’s Department to the town with a population of approximately 800 residents.  The escort was needed as most roads had been washed out and only one familiar with the back roads could get us in; it took several detours as the waters were rising rapidly but we got there.”

            Upon arrival, the 12 members of the CHFD certified in Swift Water Rescue broke up into four teams and immediately worked their way into the raging waters that was once Main Street.  Safety Officer Ron Stark, a team member, reported that “we went into the water around 3:30pm and never came upon dry land for any length of time until 9:00pm.  Homes were flooded into the first floors; others were just washed away.  A local trailer park  with 18 mobile homes had stood in one particular parcel; all that was left were two, one of which was on fire.”  “Ten or so trailers were stacked up against a tree line like legos,” stated Lieutenant Tom Penk, one of the Team members. 

            Captain Chris Racine’s team came upon two houses that were being compromised by the swift waters of the overflowed Schoharie Creek.  “In one, parents were throwing their children out a second story window to us.  We were able to get the kids into a boat and ferry them back to dry land.  Next door, Captain Racine’s men along with Stark’s team found a 93 year old who was confined to a wheelchair; we got her into the shuttle boat and she too, was brought to safe ground.”

            Then Stark, along with Captain Racine and Lieutenant Tony Hazzard found a woman trapped on a second floor of a home taking in water rapidly.  “She had taken her father that morning , a fire fighter with Prattsville, to the fire house and she had returned home to gather some belongings and head out to her mothers,” said Stark.  “She told us that ‘Suddenly, the house began to shake and as I looked outside, I saw a landscape that was frightening.  I went to head downstairs only to see water rising up the stair case itself.  Within seconds the house began to wash away and the staircase with it.  It stopped as it became logged against a tree.’  It was obvious she was stranded on the second floor and we had to do something.”

            “We went to five different windows in order to find a safe exit for her to leave.  Under the proposed egress, I smashed out the first floor glass pane and stood up on the window sill to help her remove the air conditioning unit on that second floor window. Then in order to get her out I handed her a rope bag; as instructed, she dropped the rope bag down between the floor and the wall which now had separated by about 12 inches from the main house itself.  We tied a knot in the rope, explaining to her what we were going to do.  Actually, the throw rope was more a security for her than to be actually used in the rescue.  I told her to bring one leg out the window and there I had her securely place her feet on a small three inch ledge under the window.  Once she had both feet secure, I told her to step on my shoulders and then I was able to get down my back with the assistance of  Racine and Hazzard who eased her down.  We got her onto a slab of concrete that was jutting out of the water, gave her a life jacket and then the four of us walked through the water to where a waiting boat was staged that was able to get her to safe ground.”

            After an incredibly physically draining day spent working against the currents, the Rescue Team was back in their Station II at 11:30pm.  They hadn’t eaten since they had left their fire house almost 12 hours earlier.  Only after a few hours of sleep, the rescue team was once again called upon Monday morning, August 29th, to deploy to Schenectady, specifically to Rotterdam Junction.  It was a similar scene as at Prattsville were scores of persons were trapped by the rising waters of the Mohawk River.  “The water was deeper here than in Prattsville, but fortunately this time, there was less current,” stated Stark, who again with six members responded to the alarm.

            Back in Clinton Heights, 21 other members of the Fire Department deployed at the fire house from 8am on where a command center had been set up and an emergency sheltered manned.  During the course of Sunday and the days following 25 other calls were responded to by fire fighters with emergency vehicles, Rescue 8, 8-5, 8-7, Utility 8B and Ladder Truck 8.  The latter—Pumper 8-7—responded to a mutual aid call on Sunday to the City of Rensselaer where a crew of seven over saw the pump outs of nine homes from 2:11 to 5:00pm.  Transformer fires and wires down were reported in the CHFD fire district itself as well as several calls that Sunday and the days following for water emergencies.

            On Friday, September 2nd, Clinton Heights was once again dispatched to Greene County were four Rescue Team members reported for duty and brought Squad 8 to Cairo led by Car I, Chief Cherubino.  As of Saturday morning, September 3rd, the Special Ops Team has once again been requested to assist in Greene County on Sunday (September 4th).

            Over the past year, fifteen members of the Clinton Heights Fire Department were certified by the New York State Emergency Management Office in a two track training program,

Swift Water Operations followed by Swift Water Technician.  For live training, the fire fighters worked in the Battenkill in Southern Washington County during the winter months. 

            The Clinton Heights Volunteer Fire Department which began operations in 1911 protects a resident population of 8,500 persons.  The fire load now consists of 3,000 single family residences as well as several apartment complexes, nursing homes, schools, churches, the Town Hall complex and many shopping areas.  The geographical area begins at its western point, the Rensselaer City Line, east to the Price Chopper plaza, north through the developments off Third Avenue Extension and west through Prospect Heights and the Ridge Road neighborhoods.  There are 60 volunteer fire fighters active within the department.


Contact: Ed Pratt, Public Information Officer
Clinton Heights Fire Department
P.O. Box 226
65 Sherwood Avenue, Rensselaer, NY 12144
pio@clintonheightsfire.com
518 369 3976 (C)