Community night out brings Shenandoah, emergency services together
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SENTINEL PHOTO - Lehigh Valley MedEvac Flight Nurse Josh Sheetz, left, talks to Rick Examitas, center, son Ryan, right-center, and another community member about MedEvac 7 during Shenandoah's Community Night Out on August 10, 2019.
By Kaylee Lindenmuth | [email protected]
SHENANDOAH – Shenandoah’s second annual community night out was held Saturday afternoon on East Washington Street, connecting community members with resources in their community, providing a fun night for area children, and giving them all an up-close look at the tools of the trade for emergency services — including a MedEvac helicopter.
The event, organized by personnel from Shenandoah’s emergency services, was held in the parking lot of the Shenandoah Ambulance building and in the unit block of East Washington Street.
New this year was the addition of Lehigh Valley Health Network’s MedEvac 7, which landed on the rear access road for the Shenandoah Senior Living Community complex.
The helicopter stayed at the event for about an hour, during which Flight Nurse Josh Sheetz, Pilot Pete Lombardi, and Flight Paramedic Michael Adams showed community members the helicopter, which frequently lands a few blocks away at the Shenandoah Helipad.
Also new this year was a fire safety house, the same used at local schools in October for fire prevention month. Shenandoah Fire Department personnel guided children inside and through the trailer, designed like a miniature residence, and taught them various fire safety tips. At the end of the tour, the trailer fills with smoke as if there’s a fire, and the children are able to practice a safe escape.
Every Shenandoah fire company displayed their apparatus at the event, and law enforcement personnel from Shenandoah, West Mahanoy Township, and the Schuylkill County Sheriff’s Department were also present. The Sheriff’s also had their drug take back box at the event, providing a way to safely dispose of unused or unneeded medications.
Various other organizations, including Clinical Outcomes Group, Inc., the Schuylkill County Communications Center, Shenandoah Borough Recreation Commission, Primary Health Network, SARCC, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Schuylkill Women In Crisis and the Schuylkill Elder Abuse Prevention Alliance had tables with information and activities. COGI also presented a free movie as night fell.
Local organizations provided refreshments, including Mrs T’s, Chill Out, Boran’s Bakery, and Signature Springs in Brandonville, among others.
Other activities at the event included a bounce house, a life-sized game of Operation, and a hands-on CPR demonstration.
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