As boaters we are often so preoccupied with our boats and having fun on the river that we often forget that there are many volunteer organizations up and down the rivers that are there to protect us and even save us from harms way. BoatPittsburgh.com just received a request from Reed Rutkowski of the Homestead Volunteer Fire Company looking for a few donations to put towards a rescue boat that they would like to put into service. Please read his letter below and contact him if you could help out.
Dear BoatPittsburgh.com,
I need some helpful advise. I belong to Homestead Volunteer Fire Company, which is in the process of River Rescue qualifications training. As a member of a volunteer organization, I am looking for Marine Radio, Fish Finder/Depth Equipment and other things that there is little to no budget for. You may know of individuals that have upgraded equipment, and are willing to make a tax deductible contribution of items they no longer wish to use, to be installed on the Boston Whaler that we acquired for rescue purposes. I appreciate all of your assistance, as the equipment will be helping us assist in rescues along the Monongahela River. We have already had one incident in May on the Yough River, and we presume that these donated items would be very helpful in more safely navigating in an emergency.
My best to you,
Reed Rutkowski
Homestead Volunteer Fire Company Firefighter/Diver w3vfd@comcast.net
Have you tried the Feds for a grant?? Lots of money out there under the stimulus and Region 13
Originally Posted by MikeyJ
As boaters we are often so preoccupied with our boats and having fun on the river that we often forget that there are many volunteer organizations up and down the rivers that are there to protect us and even save us from harms way. BoatPittsburgh.com just received a request from Reed Rutkowski of the Homestead Volunteer Fire Company looking for a few donations to put towards a rescue boat that they would like to put into service. Please read his letter below and contact him if you could help out.
Dear BoatPittsburgh.com,
I need some helpful advise. I belong to Homestead Volunteer Fire Company, which is in the process of River Rescue qualifications training. As a member of a volunteer organization, I am looking for Marine Radio, Fish Finder/Depth Equipment and other things that there is little to no budget for. You may know of individuals that have upgraded equipment, and are willing to make a tax deductible contribution of items they no longer wish to use, to be installed on the Boston Whaler that we acquired for rescue purposes. I appreciate all of your assistance, as the equipment will be helping us assist in rescues along the Monongahela River. We have already had one incident in May on the Yough River, and we presume that these donated items would be very helpful in more safely navigating in an emergency.
My best to you,
Reed Rutkowski
Homestead Volunteer Fire Company Firefighter/Diver w3vfd@comcast.net
Have you tried the Feds for a grant?? Lots of money out there under the stimulus and Region 13
Haven't gotten to the Grant Stage yet.
Just started the ball rolling with the help of MikeyJ, and begging in the volunteer fire service is not beneath us when there is no money allotted for new projects. I was hoping for a response from someone that may have a "basement dwelling" radio, depth, or other gear that has not seen use in a while, that could use the tax deduction for the 09 filing season.
We are working the second team, training for river work now, and hope to have the Boston Whaler out if we can get some more gear. I mentioned to MikeyJ that we already had a recovery of a youth on the Yough this year, and we are desperate to get the boat prepped for service.
I know that there are many ways to get things done, but I’ve been asked to try locally first, to see if our neighbors would help.
My best to you,
Reed Rutkowski
Homestead Volunteer Fire Company Firefighter/Diver w3vfd@comcast.net
I would highly recommend that you get a PayPal account for the department. Everyone who has an Ebay account has one if they sell. If you make it easy to donate people will respond. Maybe ask Terry and Mikey to put a link from the main page to your email addy for your paypal account.
JMHO.
Chuck
Originally Posted by DiveBoat
Haven't gotten to the Grant Stage yet.
Just started the ball rolling with the help of MikeyJ, and begging in the volunteer fire service is not beneath us when there is no money allotted for new projects. I was hoping for a response from someone that may have a "basement dwelling" radio, depth, or other gear that has not seen use in a while, that could use the tax deduction for the 09 filing season.
We are working the second team, training for river work now, and hope to have the Boston Whaler out if we can get some more gear. I mentioned to MikeyJ that we already had a recovery of a youth on the Yough this year, and we are desperate to get the boat prepped for service.
I know that there are many ways to get things done, but I’ve been asked to try locally first, to see if our neighbors would help.
My best to you,
Reed Rutkowski
Homestead Volunteer Fire Company Firefighter/Diver w3vfd@comcast.net
Last edited by obxpelican; 07-23-2009 at 10:55 AM.
Reason: spelling error
Here is the link for Homestead Volunteer Fire Company - PayPal Donations Page. http://www.homesteadvfd.com/index.php If you are willing to help the Volunteers with a money contribution going towards River Rescue Equipment, please visit our website.
Also, if you have new or used equipment that you wish to help us with, we are very thankful to you.
Be assured that your Tax Deductable Contribution will help us during River Rescue Operations on the Mon & Yough Rivers, and we hope to get underway soon.
I would highly recommend that you get a PayPal account for the department. Everyone who has an Ebay account has one if they sell. If you make it easy to donate people will respond. Maybe ask Terry and Mikey to put a link from the main page to your email addy for your paypal account.
JMHO.
Chuck
I guess the PayPal idea was a good one Chuck, but maybe alot of boaters on BoatPittsburgh.com don't go between the city and points upstream on the Mon as I had originally expected...haven't seen any Paypal Transactions yet towards the Rescue Boat funding.
I will continue to hope that the equipment can be donated if someone has any "dust collectors" in the basement, or aboard a vessel that is not being used.
We have been doing a shakedown of the Whaler, but are still trying to work the bugs out, which seem to be a few.
I will keep you all advised, and thanks again for listening to my groveling for equipment & funds for the Rescue Boat Fund
We are looking into a used 24' Pontoon Harris FloteBote as an option for our dive platform for the Mon & Yough Diver Operations. 110 HP Motor seems to get it going well handles nicely. Might be a better choice for us than the Whaler for getting in shallow to load and unload dive gear and Rescue Divers.
I guess we will be looking into selling the Whaler so that we can get more gear and divers on deck. The Whaler really moves though, compared to the pontoon, since it has an inboard 302/OMC.
I will keep those interested posted on the details.
P.S. - Our last group of Dive Recruits are now all Advanced Certified, and are training on the bottom of the Monongahela.
How is the visibility on the Mon? a few inches I would think you'd have to be advanced certified to navigate down there! I have been diving in the ocean plenty of times but don't think I could do it in the river. You are very brave people...
Long time no talk to. Vis is feet to nil and depends on the weather conditions and current for the most part. Rain = no vis. A little current is good because it "cleans" the water a bit.
We start our guys out at the Advanced Level, so they have had all types of diving by the time they hit the river. Then the training, never stops.
We are up to 10 Divers on our Team plus Tenders who are Firefighters who wish to stay topside.
I commented today on another post about Sandcastle Docks that I am working with their managment and would pass on any "Constructive" comments to give them, to improve their docking. If you and the members of BoatPittsburgh wish to help improve what is there, forward the info, and I will try to present it the best I can. I saw that members who would like to visit Sandcastle, but thought the docks needed some help - AND were willing to volunteer time & talents to accomplish this.
If that's the case, make a proposal that I can deliver, and see if they go for it.
Homestead Volunteer Fire Company Help
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Originally Posted by MikeyJ
I would think you'd have to be advanced certified to navigate down there! I have been diving in the ocean plenty of times but don't think I could do it in the river. You are very brave people...
