Crary Hose held our February Monthly Company Meeting on Monday, 2/7/2022. Prior to the meeting, the members of the company had the privilege of welcoming to the firehall Brian Edgcomb, Trustee of the Deerfield Charitable Trust. We invited Mr. Edgcomb to present him and the Deerfield Charitable Trust with a token of our appreciation for the support they have given us and to provide him with a tour of the equipment that we purchased through their support.
Since Crary Hose obtained 501(c)(3) public charity status, we have been awarded 5 grants from the DCT for various projects ranging from equipping our new medical/rescue vehicle Squad 5-18 with a roll-out bed tray, equipment and lettering, to the purchase of our new battery-operated PPV (positive pressure ventilation) fan, to the acquisition of equipment vital to the operation of our RIT (Rapid Intervention Team) that is tasked with ensuring the safety of firefighters at fire incidents and rescuing downed firefighters. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Crary Hose had just purchased two vehicles and was faced with an uncertain fundraising future due to restrictions on gatherings and food service. The Deerfield Charitable Trust came through with our first grant right as the pandemic hit, and we could not have been more grateful for it.
Mr. Edgcomb spoke briefly of the history of the organization, founded by his aunt, Jane E. Glover, for the purpose of supporting the Knoxville Library and other public charities in the Cowanesque Valley. The charity has given our millions of dollars to support the projects and operations of many non-profit organizations in the Northern Tioga School District, and through wise management will continue to do so in perpetuity. He also spoke of her fondness for the fire service and for first responders. He thanked us for our service to the community and was impressed with the fruits of their awards to Crary Hose. Equipment purchased through the DCT grants has already seen over 500 medical and 30 fire calls!
The community should be cognizant of the contributions of the DCT, and other similar charitable organizations, and their huge impact on the valley. We thank them so much for their support and promise to put the resources that they have entrusted us with to good use in the protection of the lives and property of the good citizens of the Cowanesque Valley.
We would also like to recognize our Grants Committee for their dedication to finding and acquiring the funding necessary to expand our capabilities and continue to operate and grow: Andrew Adams, Bill Goltz, Kyle Mack, Brent Skelton, Todd Streeter, and Matthew Reed.