During the COVID-19 pandemic, a new tradition began for birthdays and other tributes where people would have their own parades. Those parades would include family and friends and on occasion fire trucks.
Because of these parades, the City of Pottsville Fire Department has had an increase in requests for fire trucks to drive by homes, hospitals, nursing homes and food stores for birthdays, anniversaries, and a variety of other tributes.
On Thursday, Fire Chief of the City of Pottsville/Bureau of Fire, Jim Misstishin, notified the public that they would be denying any requests for apparatus in parades until further notice.
Misstishin said "As you know, our ultimate responsibility is to protect life and property in our community. The only way we can meet that obligation is by keeping our brave volunteers healthy, safe and able to answer the many calls for service that we receive from city residents, businesses and our Mutual Aid partners in Schuylkill County.
As a Department, we have taken every precaution to minimize the chance that our firefighters and their families may be exposed to COVID-19. A COVID exposure in the Fire Department could drastically reduce our ability to answer calls when you need us the most. Due to our close quarters in fire apparatus and while working on a scene, it is vital that we exercise extreme caution at all times. This includes social distancing as appropriate, and reducing or eliminating non-essential details that can put volunteers at risk.
After careful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to respectfully decline any requests for parades etc. during this crisis for the safety of our volunteers and their families. Members of the Pottsville Bureau of Fire enjoy interacting with our community and look forward to returning to a more normal routine that has always included participating in a wide range of community and social events."
Missistishin also said that to date, the Pottsville Fire Department has been able to stay at full staff and answer every call to 9-1-1 and has made modifications to ensure they are taking every precaution.
"During this time of crisis, we promise to focus on our first and foremost mission, serving you, the citizens of Pottsville. Please support our brave volunteers at this time. Keeping them safe, will keep our community safe.
We look forward to getting back out there and seeing everyone again as soon as this pandemic is over. Please don’t hesitate to call 9-1-1 for any emergency and please know we will be there for you." Misstishin added.