Evans Center Ladies Auxiliary is WNY's Bravest

FROM http://www.wivb.com/ - (September 4, 2003) - - Adequate equipment can be an emergency responder's best friend. In this week's Bravest of Western New York, we salute a local ladies auxiliary for making sure their fire department is suited up for safety.

Safety is key when responding to an accident scene, and members of the Evans Center Fire Police Squad now have added protection - whether they are directing traffic or clearing a scene.

Evans Center Fire Police Squad Captain Vince O'Hare said, "The majority of injuries and deaths in the volunteer fire service are fire policemen or firefighters doing that job."

That's why the Evans Center Ladies Auxiliary spent a year raising close to 4,000 dollars to outfit members of the fire police squad with new lime green emergency gear.

Evans Center Ladies Auxiliary President Cyndee Rizzuto said, "We were kind of afraid they would get hit by cars so we wanted something that would stand out so you can see them when they are coming down the road. That's the main problem. You want to be able to see them."

The Evans Center fire police squad now respond to all accident scenes in the lime green suits. The crews say its a big improvement over the old gear they used to wear.

Captain O'Hare said, "The outfits we had before are what you see in the highway departments. They are orange, they had reflective striping but the orange color tended to fade, and wasn't highly visible as the lime green color."

Evans Fire crews are thankful to the ladies auxiliary for donating the money for these suits. The ladies knew it was necessary to ensure their safety.

Cyndee Rizzuto said, "We were afraid for their lives and they were trying to protect others and they were endangering themselves."

Captain O'Hare said, "It was just a surprise when they came through for us in January. We didn't ask for it, but I guess they knew it was needed, but they came through for us and we appreciate it."

We honor members of the Evans Center Ladies Auxiliary for being the Bravest of Western New York.

If you'd like to nominate someone for the Bravest of Western New York, send your nomination to WNLO-TV, 2077 Elmwood Avenue Buffalo, NY 14207.