Scuttlebutt 11/21

Pioneering Female Chief Honored

An island fire department in New York honored its former chief who is a pioneer for women firefighters by naming its new custom mini pumper in her honor. The Cherry Grove Fire Department (CGFD) on Fire Island dedicated this truly “mini” pumper—uniquely built for navigating the tight corridors of a boardwalk beach community with no paved roads—in honor of former Fire Chief Lyn Hutton (seen at right at the dedication ceremony).
Hutton, who has been a Cherry Grove resident since 1972, joined the CGFD in 1976 and was one of a handful of women who were in the fire service at that time. She rose through the ranks until she was named fire chief in 1980, which is a position that she held until 1994.
She is believed to be the first female fire chief in the state of New York and remained a training officer for the CGFD until her recent retirement. The first of three female chiefs in the department’s history, Hutton was the spearhead for a culture in which half of the personnel are women.

Globe Gear Giveaway Winners

The Tunas, MO, Volunteer Fire Department (TVFD) and the Selden Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD) in Stephenville, TX, are the latest recipients of MSA’s and DuPont’s Globe Gear Giveaway. Now in its 10th year, the program has provided more than $1 million worth of gear to assist volunteer fire departments in need.

The TVFD is funded by membership dues that are paid by area landowners, and it receives no local or state government support. Most of its equipment and apparatus were donated by other departments, and as a result, the TVFD’s 15 sets of turnout gear are all 10–20 years old. The department is unable to purchase new gear on its own, because much of the funding that it receives goes to covering insurance premiums and other operating expenses. Many of the volunteers even acquired their PPE that the department is unable to provide.

The SVFD receives a small stipend from the local government to cover apparatus maintenance and fuel costs. All other expenses must be covered by fundraising efforts and grants. As a result, all of the department’s turnout gear is older, mismatched or out of compliance with NFPA 1851: Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting. With new members joining the department, this has created an additional shortage of gear.

For more information, visit MSAsafety.com.

The groundbreaking ceremony included: (from left) Champaign County Economic Partnership Director Marcia Bailey; Sutphen Corp. Vice President Julie Sutphen Phelps; Sutphen President Drew Sutphen; Sutphen Urbana General Manager Todd Winnenberg; Urbana Fire Chief Dean Ortlieb; and Urbana Mayor Bill Bean.

Sutphen Facility Update

Sutphen Corp. officially broke ground on its new 185,000-square-foot facility in Urbana, OH. As previously reported (firehouse.com/21231232), the new facility will combine the company’s three Urbana operations into one location and retain its existing 160 jobs in Urbana while adding an additional 20–25 jobs to the area. The new operation also will increase significantly Sutphen’s production capabilities. For more information, visit sutphen.com.

Fighting Breast Cancer

Muertos Coffee Co. is a philanthropic coffee company that’s owned and operated by first responders. The company created a partnership with National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) in 2020 and raised $5,000 for NBCF in just three months.
Now, Muertos will release a limited-edition K-Cup variety pack, ground coffee, whole bean coffee and other merchandise and will donate 5 percent of each sale directly to NBCF. Muertos also has pledged to donate $15,000 by selling coffee (whole bean and K-Cups) and merchandise (T-shirts and mugs). The company hopes that by supporting NBCF, it will help to secure the funds that are needed to continue the important efforts behind NBCF’s programs and services, including prevention and early detection.
For more information, visit muertoscoffeeco.com.

CSU Scholarships Awarded

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and Columbia Southern University (CSU) teamed up to award two members of the NVFC with a CSU scholarship. The 2021 recipients are Trenton Hearndon of Tennessee Ridge, TN, and Dan Kuzio of Starksboro, VT. Each winner will receive tuition for as many as 60 credit hours toward one of CSU’s online degree programs. Hearndon, who began his fire service in 2006 as a junior firefighter while in high school, recently was named fire chief for the city of Tennessee Ridge. Hearndon hopes to complete his associate degree in business to better prepare him in his role as fire chief.

Kuzio, who started his fire service career as a volunteer, has risen to the rank of lieutenant. He said he joined the fire service to become a community volunteer but found becoming a community leader was his true calling. Kuzio plans to earn his master’s degree in emergency services management.

For more information, visit ColumbiaSouthern.edu/NVFC.