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Greene CTC receives donated fire truck for emergency program

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WAYNESBURG – Students in Greene County Career and Technology Center’s emergency services program are getting hands-on experience with a fire engine thanks to the generosity of a local fire department.

Lone Pine Volunteer Fire Department donated their outgoing engine to the school’s program, emergency services instructor Adam Wilkinson said.

Trista Thurston/Observer-Reporter

Trista Thurston/Observer-Reporter

Greene County Career and Technology Center’s emergency services program recently received a donated fire engine from Lone Pine Volunteer Fire Department.

Wilkinson said discussions for a new truck began in the October meeting of his occupational advisory committee. A member brought up the need because he knew of a department looking to donate a truck.

“He said he would reach out to the members up there. They brought it up at their meeting and all agreed that it would be a good thing to donate it to us down here,” Wilkinson said. “It was a long process, just trying to get all the paperwork and getting everybody on the same schedule and all that, but we ended up getting it in March.”

Since then, the students have used the truck in the classroom, including in their recent mock crash.

The 1990 engine could be worth anywhere between $45,000 to $70,000, Wilkinson said. Lone Pine even left the ladders on the truck and Clem’s Decals in Belle Vernon donated the new decals, including their class patch. The program had an engine prior to the donation that wasn’t in the best shape when they originally received it, so they’re trying to determine what to do with it now.

“This one is much, much better than what we had,” he said.

Now that they have a more modern piece of equipment, Wilkinson said his students seem more energized.

“They’re in love with it. It seems like they’re more enthusiastic,” he said. “They get to show it off. Other people see it on the campus. It’s something they’re proud of having.”

Wilkinson said they’ve shown the truck to elementary students, taking them for rides and spraying some water. The truck gives them pride and ownership over their education.

With a working engine, students learn skills such as pumping the engine, using hoses, hooking hydrants to the truck and filling the engine.

“A lot of the aspects of firefighting itself centralize around your fire engine,” Wilkinson said.

The CTC’s emergency services program covers firefighting, EMS and police.

“We cover all aspects of public safety,” Wilkinson said about the program.

The Greene County Career and Technology Center’s emergency services program used their new fire engine at their mock crash on April 20.

He said since receiving the donation, students have done some training and have also used the engine for the school’s mock crash on April 20. The mock crash is a collaboration between several CTC programs and local fire and police, donating their time and resources. Students handle every part of the event, from the cosmetology students creating fake wounds with makeup and nursing students offering treatment to the crash victims. The students also utilized a drone to deconstruct and examine the crash.

The Lone Pine logo still graces the side of the donated engine as a sign of respect, Wilkinson said. People worked hard to raise the funds to purchase that truck.

“I don’t want people to forget where it came from.”

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