Hot, humid and dry… drought is confirmed

An important fund raiser is being held at the Matilda Hall on April 6 for Mark, Lisa, Brody and Brett Froats, whose lives changed dramatically last fall.

Brody, who recently celebrated his 17th birthday, was born with Prader-Willi Syndrome, a debilitating disease that has caused obesity, severe muscle atrophy and heart and respiratory problems. It is no longer possible for Brody to be cared for at home. His condition has deteriorated, and he must be hospitalized and cared for day-to-day.

Lisa, Brody’s mother, is fighting Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. She just completed six months of chemotherapy, and still faces a CT Scan, a PET Scan and Bone Marrow biopsy. She is with Brody on the days she feels well enough, staying over in the city. 

Brett Froats, nine, remains at home to attend school during the week.

Father Mark Froats is self-employed, but has been unable to work since Brody was admitted to the hospital. Mark must be involved in his son’s care 24/7, costing the family their sole provider, a situation that will continue for an unknown length of time. Family and friends help the Froats’ out as much as possible, but expenses keep mounting and are never-ending.

The Matilda Hall Fund Raiser on April 6, is an organized community event run through the combined efforts of the Morrisburg and District, Iroquois-Matilda, Finch, Chesterville and Winchester Lions clubs. 

The fund raiser will feature a Car Rally, and later a roast beef dinner prepared and catered by local caterer, Gayle Hart. (Dinners must be reserved in advance. Call Kelly deDekker at 613-535-1424 for tickets.)

Several local bands and a professional Elvis Impersonator will provide lots of entertainment  at the Hall during the afternoon and evening, with the cost of admission a donation of your choice to the cause. The day will end with an enjoyable dance. 

Master of Ceremonies for the special day will be small business owner, Oddfellow member and devoted community volunteer, David Lapier. The Williamsburg Independent Order of Oddfellows will operate the cash bar.

The Pulling Together Team has begun canvassing for donation items for both a silent and a live auction. Well known auctioneer, Hugh Fawcett, will auction the larger items. This should be a very exciting part of the day.

Mark Saturday, April 6, on your calendar, and support this important fund raiser for the entire Froats family. 

[…]

“We are spending these two days in intensive training,” said Chris McDonough, chief of South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services. “We are training to learn how to safely remove fire fighters who may have become trapped in smoke, or in actual fires or in collapsed buildings.”

Firefighters from the three South Dundas stations gathered at the Morrisburg fire hall on Saturday, April 13, and again on Sunday, April 14, for special Rapid Intervention Training (RIT). The course was taught by Mark van der Feyst, president of Firestar Services Inc., and his highly qualified, expert staff. 

Firestar Services Inc. delivers high quality training for service professionals, offering workshops and classroom instruction and demonstrating practical  techniques for dealing with fire, chemical and hazardous matter emergencies. 

“Many fire departments have begun to train their personnel in the concepts of rescuing downed, trapped or injured firefighters,” chief McDonough explained. “The concept of rapid intervention teams is not new. It’s been around for 10-15 years in the US, but has only begun to infiltrate the Canadian fire service in the last five years. What was once a trend is now a standard practice with many fire departments implementing some kind of a RIT program.”

Van der Feyst and his instructors stressed that safely rescuing a fire fighter is actually a very different proposition than rescuing a civilian. 

“A fire fighter, in full gear, carrying all of his equipment, on the average could weigh close to 300 pounds,” van der Feyst told the South Dundas teams. “This is a very different situation than rescuing a civilian. For example, staircases in older buildings are often wooden and narrow and may turn several times. In blinding smoke and darkness, with air at a premium, special techniques must be learned to bring a fallen or injured firefighter to safety in these circumstances.”

Using the former Loyalist Lodge as an additional training area, fire fighters learned and practiced, hands on, the best ways to stage rescues of injured colleagues in constricted areas and under extreme conditions.

“To be an RIT firefighter requires special training. It requires emphasis on many subjects that need to be looked at from the RIT perspective,” said McDonough. 

“Is every fire department able to provide this type of training to each of its members? Probably not all at once, but over time, each department can. How and when is up to each department. This is the kind of training that is needed and beneficial for a firefighter to be proficient at rescuing downed, lost or trapped firefighters.”

[…]

There was sadness, but also many wonderful shared memories among the parishioners and visitors and clergy as St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Riverside  Heights held its last service and officially closed its doors on […]