Latest News
September, 2008 - 1st Responder Newspaper - Lewiston fire destroys two story home Monthly Newspaper - Incident occurred July 9, 2008.
At 2:20 a.m. on the morning of July 9, 2008, the Upper Mountain Vol. Fire Co was dispatched to a working structure fire on Elm Drive in the Town of Lewiston. On arrival Fire Chief Jonathan Schultz discovered a working two-story structure fire with heavy smoke and fire on side three of the residence. A rapid interior attack utilizing a 2½ “attack line deployed to the second story, where the raging fire was actively consuming the second floor and attic space of the four bedroom home was initiated by Upper Mountain.
August 14, 2008 - WGRZ - Police Continue Niagara River Search for 12-year-old
Rescue crews continue looking for a little girl who apparently was swept away by rushing water in the Niagara River..............."There was no chance for anyone in her group to reach out to grab her," said Lt. Patrick Moriarty. "No one was close enough to do it. And once you hit the water, it's moving quickly down river. She tried to grab on to a rock nearby but was unable to."
WGRZ Video
August 14, 2008 - Buffalo News - Search continues for girl lost in river
U.S. Coast Guard Chief Dennis O'Connell in Youngstown called the rescue effort one of the largest he had seen. He said the search had extendeded from Devil's Hole to the mouth of the the Niagara River and went through the night. "I can't believe the number of resources. It's been remarkable," O'Connell said...............State Parks Police have taken the lead in the operation, and other agencies continue to support the effort, Cox said...............State, county, local and federal agencies on land and water joined in the search Wednesday afternoon and evening, using powerboats and Whirlpool Jet Boats, as well as helicopters from the U.S. Border Patrol and Niagara County Sheriff's Office.
August 13, 2008 - Niagara Gazette - NIAGARA FALLS: Girl swept away in gorge current
A 12-year-old girl was swept away by the Niagara River current after she sat down on a rock to dip her feet Wednesday afternoon.
August 13, 2008 - WKBW - Girl, 12, falls into Niagara River
A 12-year-old girl fell into the fast-rushing waters of the Niagara River on Wednesday afternoon, launching a massive search and rescue operation..............."Once you hit the water, the water is moving quickly. She tried to grab onto a rock near shore but was unable to do so."
WKBW Video
August 13, 2008 - WIVB-TV - Rescuers will continue search for girl
Around 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, witnesses say the girl left the trail and walked to the river's edge. That's where she apparently slipped and fell into the water, and was swept away by the fast moving current...............For the next several hours, state troopers, parks police and firefighters searched by land as the United States Coast Guard and Whirlpool Jet Boats combed the waters of the Lower Niagara. But their efforts came up empty.
WIVB Video on Demand - 1 WIVB Video on Demand - 2 WIVB Video on Demand - 3
August 13, 2008 - WIVB-TV - Search in lower Niagara for missing NYC girl
Witnesses told police a 12 year old girl from the group stopped to rest on a rock, and slipped into the fast moving current leading to a massive air and water search...............State Parks Police and emergency crews from Youngstown, Lewiston, and Niagara Falls, N.Y. are all taking part in the search.
WIVB Video on Demand - 1 WIVB Video on Demand - 2
July 11, 2008 - Buffalo News - Lewiston house fire claims life of dog
The blaze broke out at about 2 a. m. on the 5300 block of Elm. It was caused by an apparent electrical malfunction, said Upper Mountain Fire Chief Jonathan Schultz.
July 10, 2008 - WIVB-TV - Three People Homeless after fire rips through Lewiston home
Three people in Niagara County are lucky to be alive after a fire ripped through their Lewiston home early Thursday morning. A raging house fire shook a quiet Lewiston neighborhood overnight. Now three people are homeless, and they're mourning their beloved family dog...............Upper Mountain Fire Company Chief Jonathan Schultz said, "Upon my arrival, found the backside of the house pretty much fully involved."
WIVB Video on Demand - 1 WIVB Video on Demand - 2 WIVB Video on Demand - 3
July 10, 2008 - Buffalo News - Shih Tzu that saved couple feared lost in fire
An elderly couple awakened by their barking dog fled their burning home in the Town of Lewiston early this morning, but fire investigators fear the dog perished in the fire...............Volunteer firefighters from Upper Mountain, Sanborn, Lewiston No. 1 and No. 2, and Niagara Active fought the blaze, but they found no sign of the small Shih Tzu dog that woke up the couple.
June 15, 2008 - Buffalo News - Rescuers dispute response claim
The Lewiston No. 1 and Upper Mountain volunteer fire companies dispute a letter published last Sunday in Niagara Weekend which firefighters said wrongly criticized the actions of their response to a motorcycle crash May 25 on Lewiston Road in which a young man’s leg was severed.
June 12, 2008 - Buffalo News - Obituaries Steve J, Washuta, founder of Modern Corporations
Niagara Gazette - Obituaries Steve J. Washuta, founder of Modern Corporations
A generous and longtime philanthropist, he was a member of the Board of Associates of Mount St. Mary’s Hospital and supported numerous projects, including the cardiac care rehabilitation unit and the annual Hewitt Award Dinner. He supported Artpark, the Arthritis Foundation of Western New York, Lewiston Fire Company No. 1, Upper Mountain Fire Company, the Youngstown Recreation Department and the Village of Youngstown Veterans Park.
May 20, 2008 - Niagara Gazette - FIRE CALLS: Falls Fire Department reports for May 24
ACCIDENT: The intersection of 18th Street and Ferry Avenue was the scene of a serious motor vehicle accident that occurred at 8:30 p.m. Sunday. Fire units from both the Royal Avenue and 10th Street stations were alerted to respond as initial reports indicated that some of the victims may still be trapped in the cars. Units arrived on the scene and immediately initiated a call for multiple ambulances due to the number of injuries. While additional Rural Metro units, as well as Upper Mountain Volunteer Fire Company units responded, firefighters on the scene began the process of getting the patients removed from the vehicle...............
May 20, 2008 - Mt. St. Mary's Honors EMS Personnel
On January 15, 2008, Lewiston Fire Co. #1 was dispatched to Ridge Road and Dickersonville Road where there was a collision between a care and tractor trailer. Advanced life support was requested from Upper Mountain. The "Jaws of Life" was used by Lewiston #1 to extricate the victim and transport him for care. This is another example of the professionalism of the two companies and their efforts to work together.
May 3, 2008 - Lewiston-Porter Sentinel - Volleys fly as Maziarz visits Lewiston Town Board
State Sen. George Maziarz, R-C, 62nd District, Newfane, paid a visit with members of Lewiston No. 1, Lewiston No. 2, Upper Mountain and the Sanborn volunteer fire companies. He was there on their behalf to confront Supervisor Fred Newlin and the Lewiston Town Board on questions and concerns they had over low-cost power allocations and other forms of assistance to Lewiston’s four volunteer fire companies.
May 2, 2008 - Niagara Gazette - LEWISTON: Two charged in fatal March accident
Two people have been charged in connection with an accident that took the life of a woman who ran a well-known Niagara Falls deli for decades...............The head-on collision occurred on March 3 on Route 104 in the Town of Lewiston and took the life of Mary Louise Demarchi, 70, of Lewiston. Demarchi was the long-time owner of McLeod’s Deli on Cleveland Avenue.
April 28, 2008 - Niagara Gazette - LEWISTON: Maziarz attacks town power deal
George Maziarz stormed Lewiston Town Hall Monday with the support of the town’s four volunteer fire companies alleging a history of lies and political games when it comes to the New York Power Authority relicensing process. At the core of Maziarz’s criticisms were the discounts to power rates town residents have received. For the first several months of the discounts last year, the fire companies received those discounts as well. Then they stopped. Then National Grid ordered the companies to pay them back...............Jonathan Schultz, chief of Upper Mountain Fire Company, said that money could pay for new equipment to help in the case of an emergency at the Niagara Power Project.
March 4, 2008 - Niagara Gazette - LEWISTON: Crash kills well-known businesswoman
A Monday car accident in the Town of Lewiston claimed the life of a woman who ran a well-known Niagara Falls deli for decades. Mary L. DeMarchi, who lived on Ridge Road in the Town of Lewiston, was pronounced dead at Erie County Medical Center after being flown by Mercy Flight from the scene of the accident, which happened on Route 104 near Meadowbrook Drive. DeMarchi, who owned McLeod’s Deli on Main Street, was 70 years old.
February 7, 2008 - The Buffalo News - Part 2: Niagara plant a huge moneymaker, but region sees little of the payoff
But Western New York -- where residents pay electric rates 50 percent higher than the national average -- sees little of those proceeds beyond the wages and benefits paid to employees at the power plant. In fact, a study commissioned by the authority found 86 percent of the plant's economic benefit leaves the area...............The Niagara plant has long been a key profit center for the authority, and net revenue has been on the upswing the past several years. The plant cleared $166 million in 2005 and $165 million last year................ Niagara's profits over the past decade total $715 million................While some of these contributions have been modest -- $50,000 toward high-tech equipment for the Upper Mountain Fire Company -- there have been major investments. The authority gave $730,000 to upgrade the Artpark hiking trail; $2.1 million to improve the Town of Lewiston water system.
January 12, 2008 - The Buffalo News - Power Authority must end largess
Locally, everything from festivals to business organizations to volunteer fire departments benefited from the authority's largess. But Western New York has received a disproportionately small share of the money, given that the Niagara Power Project in Lewiston is the authority's biggest moneymaker...............Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, the Power Authority's most vocal critic, described the move to overhaul the program as an "overdue reform." "These authorities -- the Power Authority, the Thruway Authority -- become addicted to the cash they generate and take on these extraneous obligations, which have have nothing to do with their core mission," he said. "Some of these groups are worthy of assistance, but it should not come on the back of ratepayers."...............The Greater Lewiston Business and Professional Association was the largest local recipient, getting $174,990, followed by the Lewiston Public Library at $100,000. Other notable recipients include the Lower Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce, the Upper Mountain Fire Co. and the now-shuttered Festival of Lights.
January 2, 2008 - Schumer Announces Upper Mountain Fire Company Will Receive Over $82,000 In Federal Fire Grants
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the Upper Mountain Fire Company, Inc. in Niagara County will receive federal grants totaling $82,279 from the 2007 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)............... "This funding will go a long way in supporting the first responders in Niagara County," said Schumer. "Our nation's firefighters are truly America's heroes. Whether fighting a building fire or responding to a terrorist attack, it is essential that we help them to do their jobs safely and efficiently..............."These grants ensure that the firefighters in Western New York continue to have the basic resources they require to do their jobs, improve safety and save lives," said Schumer. "Local fire departments have been strained from budget cuts, rising costs of equipment and stress from being on heightened alert because of the war on terrorism. These funds are truly a life saving investment that will provide local fire departments with essential resources and support, so they can be better prepared for emergencies."
November 19, 2007 - Niagara Gazette - Town of Niagara: Careless candle blamed for fire
The fire was contained in a single apartment and the resident was treated for burns to his right hand. The resident of another apartment was taken to Memorial Medical Center for treatment of a shoulder injury. Volunteers from Niagara Active Hose and Upper Mountain fire companies battled the blaze. The American Red Cross is providing assistance to the residents.
November 19, 2007 - Niagara Gazette - Andrew Anthony Foti
The Foti family is grateful for all of the wonderful health care workers and emergency technicians who became part of the family at the end of Andrew's life...............In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Upper Mountain Fire Company Escarpment Area, 839 Moyer Road, Lewiston, NY 14092 or to the Stella Niagara Education Park, 4421 Lower River Road, Lewiston, NY 14092.
October 23, 2007 - Niagara Gazette - STAYING SAFE: Squad uses expensive mannequins in emergency training
Money may not buy you love, but it can buy you tears, drool and dilated pupils. Those were some of the functions of the $750,000 mannequins which served as test subjects for 28 public safety personnel and health officials at a three-day training session last weekend at Upper Mountain Volunteer Fire Co. in Lewiston...............Upper Mountain company boasts the only ambulance in Niagara County equipped to deal with incidents involving hazardous materials or weapons of mass destruction.
March 4, 2007 - Niagara Gazette - POLITICAL NOTEBOOK: Clinton’s tone presidential in latest visit
A few months back we published a list of the many pork projects secured by Sen. George Maziarz in the 2006-07 state fiscal year. The projects totaled $2.2 million. Here is the list of state grants Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte secured in the same year. The following appropriations were sponsored only by DelMonte. They total $56,000:...............$3,000 for Upper Mountain Fire Company.
February 26, 2007 - Niagara Gazette - TOWN OF NIAGARA: Cause still sought in fatal fire
Town of Niagara Police say they now know how a 59-year-old man died in a raging house fire. However, they still don’t know what sparked the blaze. Town Police Chief James Suitor said an autopsy showed 59-year-old Theodore Smith died of smoke inhalation. Smith, the resident of a lower, rear apartment in the house at 4172 Military Road, was found dead in his bathroom after firefighters battled their way through flames and heavy smoke to find him there on Feb. 12...............Volunteers from Niagara Active, Lewiston #2, Frontier and Upper Mountain fire companies battled the blaze, which appeared to have started in Smith’s apartment. Police said there was “heavy smoke and flames” coming from the area of the apartment.
February 12, 2007 - Niagara Gazette - TOWN OF NIAGARA: Cause sought in fatal fire
Investigators are sifting through the rubble of a Town of Niagara home, trying to determine what caused a fatal fire there Sunday night...............Volunteers from Niagara Active Fire Co., Lewiston #2 Fire Co., Frontier Fire Co. and Upper Mountain Fire Co. battled the blaze, which appeared to have started in Smith’s apartment. Police said there was “heavy smoke and flames” coming from the area of the apartment. Rescuers said the “heavy fire conditions” in Smith’s apartment kept them from reaching him.
December 16, 2006 - Niagara Gazette - PUBLIC SAFETY: County, towns not on same frequency
A rift between Niagara County first responders and their colleagues in local departments is brewing over the future of communications equipment. Some local police departments want to join a new statewide network now in development, which will allow them to communicate fully with other departments and state agencies. Meanwhile, the county is taking a wait-and-see approach and is buying equipment to build its own network...............Instead the county is building its own system, which has been endorsed by the county’s fire advisory board, Volkosh said. While Jonathan Schultz, chief of Upper Mountain Fire Company in Lewiston, doesn’t sit on the fire advisory board, his company bought 15 pagers at $300 a piece to communicate with the new county system. “They say it’s going to work,” he said.
July 19, 2006 - Niagara Gazette - TOWN OF NIAGARA: Thieves likely cause of Garlock's blaze
A blaze that consumed more than 30 discarded vehicles at a Maryland Avenue junkyard kept five area fire companies at the scene throughout the early-morning hours. While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, it appears a blowtorch used to steal catalytic converters from cars that same night is related to the blaze that broke out shortly before 3:30 a.m. — the second such fire at Garlock’s Auto Parts in less than three months..............Firefighters from Niagara Active Hose, Lewiston Fire Company No. 2, Upper Mountain Fire Company, and the Frontier and Bergholz volunteer companies responded to the scene, along with state and Town of Niagara police.
July 17, 2006 - Niagara Gazette - Rochester man dies in motorcycle crash
State Police say a Rochester man was killed when he lost control of his motorcycle on Military Road in Lewiston early Monday morning. Duane E. Hallinean, 56, of Rochester was pronounced dead at Mt. St. Mary’s Hospital a short time after the crash.
June 22, 2006 - Niagara Gazette - Feds say terror preparedness, emergency plans OK
The New York Power Authority’s emergency response plans for the Niagara Power Project are up to snuff despite concerns of local firefighters, according to federal regulators...............For more than a year, local volunteer fire departments, led by Upper Mountain, have been critical of the power authority for what it believes has been a lack of support. John Malinchock, assistant chief of Upper Mountain, said the fire companies’ position had been misrepresented by NYPA. “We’re rather distraught that FERC did not go further to investigate this, but simply took the word of the New York State Power Authority,” Malinchock said.
May 8, 2006 - Niagara Gazette - Smoke signals scrapyard fire
A fuel explosion caused a junkyard fire that burned and smoldered for more than an hour Monday, sending a cloud of black smoke into the air that could be seen as far away as Fort Erie, Ont. Dozens of firefighters from at least four companies responded to Garlock’s Auto Parts at 2360 Maryland Ave. after receiving an emergency call shortly before 1 p.m. that a fire had started at a compactor and set fire to other scrap materials nearby...............Firefighters from Niagara Active Hose, the Upper Mountain Fire Company, Lewiston Fire Company No. 2 and the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station assisted at the scene, along with Town of Niagara police, New York State Police troopers, and local EMS responders.
April 7, 2006 - Niagara Gazette - Lew-Port student identified as crash victim
The Niagara County Sheriff’s Department has released the name of the 12-year-old who died Thursday evening in an ATV accident. Brett Wilczak, a student at Lewiston-Porter Middle School, was found pinned underneath a four-wheeled ATV in a field about a quarter mile from Porter Center Road in Ransomville just after 8 p.m. He was transported to Mount St. Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
February 13, 2006 - Niagara Gazette - Officials continue to ponder MDA
Lewiston Officials are considering creating a new position which would be charged with establishing a disaster preparedness plan for the town. It behooves the town to develop a plan and appoint a disaster preparedness coordinator, or someone that coordinates emergency management training for all town department heads and workers, Newlin said. Upper Mountain Volunteer Fire Co. Assistant Chief Jonathan Schultz is one of the candidates being considered for the job, town officials said.
January 21, 2006 - Lewiston Porter Sentinel - Lew-Port pays tribute to accident victim
High School Principal Paul Casseri said that soon after the accident, he was approached by students who wanted to memorialize D’Angelis in all aspects of his qualities...............Students Lenny Zientara and Steve Guiliani made the display. The display includes artwork by D’Angelis, the robotics he built, family photos, and gear from the Upper Mountain Fire Company where D’Angelis was a member, Zientara said...............Assistant Chief Jon Schultz of Upper Mountain Fire Company attended the memorial and said D’Angelis planned to volunteer with the company once he turned 18. Schultz said D’Angelis would have taken the emergency medical technician training in the fall, fire training in the spring, and would have been a firefighter by summer. His attitude made him an ideal candidate for fire service..............Schultz called the display a great tribute. “In the short time that he was with us, he made such as lasting impression on all of us.”
January 12, 2006 - Niagara Gazette - Lew-Port senior had passion for fire company
Lewiston Police, who responded to the scene along with the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department and Upper Mountain Volunteer Fire Co., are still investigating the exact cause of the crash...............Ruckh also introduced D’Angelis to volunteering at Upper Mountain Volunteer Fire Co. D’Angelis had been a fire company member for two months and was on his way to taking training classes and becoming a full member...............Upper Mountain Assistant Chief Jonathan Schultz described D’Angelis as an eager, energetic person who came to all the company’s drills willing to learn what it takes to be a volunteer firefighter...............It made it tough for D’Angelis’ fellow firefighters when they responded and treated him at the accident scene, Schultz said.
November 2, 2005 - Niagara Gazette - Parties see progress in emergency responder dispute
A recent meeting in Sanborn Fire Hall has already borne fruit in some local volunteer firefighters’ push for a better working relationship with the New York Power Authority. Officials from NYPA and several fire companies — long embittered over support for emergency responses at the Niagara Power Project — hailed the mid-October meeting as productive, and promised to maintain ongoing communication about emergency issues...............They agreed on three items — to establish a working group to discuss daily operational public safety concerns; the fire companies will provide a plan that includes long-term needs of the first responders; and increased discussion of the Power Project’s Emergency Action Plan.............NYPA officials agreed to provide copies of the Emergency Action Plan to Sanborn, Niagara Active and the Lewiston fire companies, according to John Malinchock, assistant chief at Upper Mountain. His company has only seen the plan for the past year. The other companies had not been made aware of the plan’s contents for the past 20 years, Malinchock said.
October 27, 2005 - Lewiston Porter Sentinel - Memorial Medical Center introduces new lifesaving technology for ER1
Heart attack patients will benefit from faster diagnosis and treatment with new technology available at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center. Thanks to a $20,000 state grant garnered by state Sen. George Maziarz, the hospital as well as Upper Mountain Volunteer Fire Company and Tri-Community Ambulance Service are about to go on-line with the Medtronic LIFENET RS Receiving Station to assist in electronic data reporting...............Ruffalo also thanked Malinchock of Upper Mountain and Ken Devole of Tri-Community Ambulance for bringing the technology to Memorial...............Maziarz said the impetus for obtaining the grant came after a meeting with emergency medical services personnel from Tri-Community and Upper Mountain.
October 27, 2005 - ER1 to read real-time ECGs from inbound ambulance patients
The LIFENET® RS Receiving Station and supporting equipment are being purchased with a $20,000 state grant obtained by Sen. Maziarz at the urging of emergency medical services personnel from Tri-Community Ambulance Service and Upper Mountain Volunteer Fire Co. Both services utilize the LIFEPAK12® EMS electronic patient care reporting system, which allows EMS personnel to transmit patient data, including clinical quality 12-lead electrocardiograms, from ambulances en route to the hospital.
April 21, 2005 - Schumer Secures Meeting For Upper Mountain Fire Company With Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that representatives from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will hold an April 26th meeting with members of the Upper Mountain Volunteer Fire Company in Lewiston, who is primarily responsible for providing fire protection and emergency response for the area surrounding the US-Canadian border crossing at Lewiston-Queenston, the Niagara Power Project and the 20-billion gallon water reservoir that holds water diverted from the Niagara River. Schumer requested the meeting last week, in a personal letter citing critical local threats, to FERC Chairman Pat Wood III.
November 20, 2004 - First Responders hold Community Day
Last month, volunteer fire companies in the towns of Lewiston and Porter offered area residents and future firefighters a glimpse of what life is like as an emergency responder as part of their Community Day exercises...............Participants included Lewiston #1, Upper Mountain, Ransomville and Youngstown volunteer fire companies, along with members of US. Coast Guard Station Niagara.
November 7, 2004 - NYPA Notes - Week of Nov. 7, 2004 In the Community
Randy Crissman, regional manager for Western New York, presented a $3,000 check to Mount St. Mary's Hospital in Lewiston as part of the Power Authority's annual contribution to the region's hospitals and emergency response units, Oct. 21. Other emergency units receiving checks included the Upper Mountain Fire Co., Lewiston; Lewiston Fire Companies #1 and #2; the Sanborn Fire Company; the Niagara Active Fire Company, Niagara Falls; Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center; and Mercy Flight, a non-profit provider of air-medical emergency services, Buffalo.
May 17, 2004 - Mount St. Mary's Hospital's EmStar Salutes Local EMS Personnel
John Malinchock, Assistant Chief EMS, Upper Mountain Volunteer Fire Company, 20 years ago, John Malinchock was instrumental in getting Upper Mountain’s ambulance service certified by the State of New York and he has been actively involved ever since. He is EMS Certified and is an Instructor/Coordinator and heads the Niagara University EMT program.
January 26, 2003 - NYPA Notes - Week of Jan. 26, 2003 LEWISTON: NYPA Grants Aid Fire Companies, Health Services
The Power Authority has presented grants totaling more than $19,000 to five Niagara Frontier fire companies and three area health-care organizations to help defray their operating expenses. The annual contributions went to Lewiston fire companies No.1 and No.2 and the Upper Mountain Fire Company, also in Lewiston, and two Niagara Falls-area units, the Niagara Active Fire Company and the Sanborn Fire Company. Health-care facilities receiving grants included the Mount St. Mary's Hospital Foundation, Lewiston, which will allocate the funds for the 2002 Family to Family Appeal, and the Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center Foundation, which will upgrade equipment in its cardiac unit. Mercy Flight, a medical emergency airlift service in Buffalo, also received a grant. "The Power Authority is pleased to provide financial assistance to these organizations, which provide critical services to the Niagara Project and its employees," said Ron Ciamaga, NYPA's Western New York regional manager.
February 3, 2002 - NYPA Notes - Week of Feb. 3, 2002 In the Community
Ron Ciamaga, regional manager of Northern New York, presented checks for $6,000 to the Upper Mountain Fire Company, Lewiston, and $2,000 each to the Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center and Lewiston's, St. Mary's Hospital, Jan 14.
|
