Through the joint efforts of the
Murrysville Volunteer Fire Company (MVFC) and Pastor Dan
Lawrence from the Murrysville Alliance Church, MVFC was put
in touch with Camp Katrina who subsequently got the
department in touch with the Mayor of Waveland,
Mississippi. He reported that their volunteer fire
department lost everything in Hurricane Katrina and were
still using borrowed equipment and were in dire need of gear
and equipment.
Murrysville VFC, who recently obtained
new fire gear for its members from a federal grant, boxed up
old gear as well as some other equipment to be sent to this
department in need. Bill Yant II, Emergency Management
Coordinator for Murrysville and a member of MVFC, was able
to coordinate with Yellow Freight to transport the gear to
Waveland, Mississippi without any charge to the fire
department. Tom Ralston, Asst. Chief of MVFC, coordinated
with Bob O'Toole, Manager at American Racing on Old
Frankstown Road in Holiday Park, to have the boxes packaged
and picked up at their place of business. Several other
members of MVFC assisted in the process.
The Murrysville Volunteer Fire Company is
grateful to the businesses who assisted in getting this fire
equipment to a department devastated from Hurricane Katrina
and would like to encourage other departments to consider
donating their unused equipment in the same way.
Bonnie Matthews
Firefighter, Murrysville VFC
