Good time for a good cause

Carnival helps keep department independent and equipped MATAMORAS — Over 1,500 people visited the Westfall Township Firefighter’s carnival in the parking lot of Skate-A-Palooza over Memorial Day weekend. Despite a few showers on Thursday evening, the young and old played games, rode the rides and tasted special treats like fried dough and candy apples. Lt. Howard Vobis, who has been on the Westfall Township Fire Department for the past 15 years, spent most of his carnival days in the ticket booth. “We’re happy to join forces with Skate-A-Palooza who helped us carry on the tradition of having the carnival for over 35 years that I know of. It’s our gift to the community to bring some entertainment in a different venue to the area on a temporary basis and at the same time, the residents can help the fire department financially.” Proceeds from this event helps support the department equipment maintenance and new turn-out gear. “The Westfall Fire Department has been self-sufficient since its inception and we are proud of the fact that we continue to be that way,” he said. The average cost of replacing a fire truck is the better part of a half-million dollars and every dollar that they make helps, especially from these type of events and coin tosses, “so anytime you see a fireman out there with a bucket or hat out or any kind of event that the fire department is sponsoring, know your dollars are greatly appreciated, Vobis said. The money you donate helps keep your taxes down. Volunteers go through numerous trainings and a lot of fire departments also run ambulance squads so that if you or your loved ones have a medical emergency, we can assist in that matter at either low or no cost as well. So again, we would just like to thank everybody for supporting us,” he said. The average call volume for fire calls in Westfall Township are between three and four hundred per year, and as of May 31, the township has actually exceeded that amount by responding to over 300 calls already this year. The average cost to respond and extinguish a fire ranges between $1,200 to $1,500 per incident. For more photos, go to www.pikecountycourier.com .