Byron Fire Department held it’s 2024 recognition and installation of officers Saturday evening at the fire hall.  More than 100 people attended the event to honor volunteers who have served in the department. 

In the 2023 year of review presented by Captain Brandon Crossett, there were 226 total calls, 168 of which were EMS calls. John Durand had 196 Calls, Bob Mruczek 167, Edward Sharp 137, Brandon Crossett 126.

A moment of silence was given to Sgt. Thomas A. Sanfratello who passed away on March 10 in the line of duty.  A 50/50 raffle was raised for the family of Sgt. Sanfratello.  The winner chose to give their winning proceeds towards the total raised, which was $230.

In 2023 some significant mentions included the town board and community used funds to purchase a new town park and Byron rescue ambulance.

The Ladies Auxiliary presented awards that totaled 185 service years, and member of the year was Morgan Leaton.

Award highlights:

2023 Firefighter of the Year - Michael Alexander

Acknowledgement of Chiefs Award – Cory Russell

Most Training hours in Genesee County - Michael Alexander, 201

Training Award - Brandon Crossett 132 hrs

EMS Award - Debra Buck-Leaton EMT of the Year

Dedication of Service Award - Fire Chief Bob Mruczek

Recognitions:

Ken McKendrick Jr, 45 years of service

David Barringer, 50 years of service

Jim Hutchinson, 55 years of service

Other awards were given to, Pete Lochner, Steve Lochner, Joe Wells, Joshua Woika, Tammy Wells, Lori Mruczek, Morgan Leaton and Julia Wasinger.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Two people were rescued today in the Tonawanda Creek after their canoe overturned and became jammed against a log, which they managed to grab onto until help arrived.

East Pembroke Fire, Town of Batavia Fire, and Gary Patnode, head of the county's rope rescue team, responded.

Volunteer firefighters were able to get ropes to John R. Young, 24, of Basom, and Kaleigh Kasteli, 20, of Beaver Falls, Pa., along with life vests -- which they put over their own life vests -- and pull them safely to shore.

Both Young and Kasteli were examined by medics with Mercy EMS and released from care at the scene.

State Police also assisted at the scene.

(Initial Post) 

Two East Pembroke volunteer firefighters risked their lives Thursday night to rescue a 17-year-old boy from East Seneca who fell from a cliff face at Indian Falls.

The youth landed on a rock ledge 10 feet above the water's surface and was stuck and hurting.

With the Tonawanda River swollen with springtime runoff the water was deep and moving fast.

Don Newton, East Pembroke's chief, and Stephen Smelski, an assistant chief, and both members of the department's water rescue team, acted quickly to reach the teen.

"We were fighting the water the whole way to just even get to him," Smelski said. "The undertow in that area is tremendous. We had to fight just to get to the area where we could get to him and talk with him."

When Newton and Smelski got close to the boy they could see his legs were shaking from exposure to the cold water.

"We didn't know how much longer he could hold on," Smelski said.

Ideally, the rescue should have been a four-man operation, but Newton and Smelski decided there was no time to wait for additional rescuers to enter the water.

"Don made decision to swim to him," Smelski added. "He had one path to him. One chance to make it. He pushed off. I pushed off with him. He was able to swim to the rock ledge to get to the patient and I stayed back in case he lost it or if the patient were to come out of his arms, then I could catch him and bring him back."

Newton told the boy the he would need to make his own way from the 10-foot high ledge he was on down to a second ledge, and from there, slide down into Newton's arms and relax.

"I told him that with the swiftness of the water, if he struggled with me, we would both be dead," Newton said. "At that point, I've got to have all the control of him and my line tender has got to have control of me."

Both Newton and Smelski praised the work of the rope team, who helped keep the two rescuers safe and then safely pulled the teen to safety.

In all, more than 60 emergency responders, including other volunteers, assisted in the rescue of Matthew J. Kwiatkowski, of Pinewood Drive, East Senaca.

It was a major operation, said Bill Schutt, a coordinator with Emergency Management, because the high water and swift current of the Tonawanda this time of year.

Kwiatkowski suffered as yet undetermined injuries and was flown by Mercy Flight to ECMC.

He was at the Falls with friends Brandon T. Briley, 18, of Center Road, West Seneca, William D. Fowler, 18, of Pheasant Lane, Cheektowaga, and Adam Hawco, 17, of Center Road, West Seneca.

The four other youths were able to climb to safety after the accident.

Charges may be pending against one or more of the individuals.

Schutt said the youth's adventure tied up a lot of the county's resources for about two hours and put other people's lives at risk.

"It's extremely dangerous," Schutt said. "It looks like it's fun and it's fun when everything goes well. When something goes bad then obviously it's not fun, but it puts everybody at risk."

Responding to the scene were the Sheriff's Office, Emergency Management, Indian Falls, Pembroke, East Pembroke and Alabama fire departments. Alden's rescue team and Mercy EMS also assisted at the scene.

Volunteers For Animals
PO Box 1621
Batavia, NY 14021
www.vol4animals.org

Working in partnership with:
Genesee County Animal Shelter
3841 W. Main Street Road
Batavia, NY 14020
(585)343-6410

Adoption Hours:
Sunday - Friday 1 - 3 pm (closed on Thursdays)
Wednesday 7 - 9 pm
Saturday 11 - 1 pm

When you adopt a shelter pet you help to save two lives: 
the one you bring home and the one who takes its place.

Christy is a spayed female shepherd mix. She is housebroken, good with large dogs. She needs to go to home with no cats or small dogs.

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This information. and much more, can be found at The Animal Rescue Site.

To vote for Volunteers for Animals, please click HERE!

Hi!  I'm writing to tell you about The Animal Rescue Site $300,000 Shelter+ Challenge of 2012 - together with Petfinder.  The Animal Rescue Site is awarding $300,000 in grants to eligible Petfinder.com member rescue organizations to help animals.  The grand prize in each voting round is a $5,000 grant, and there are many other prizes!  Visit The Animal Rescue Site to vote every day and learn more.  You don't have to register, and voting is FREE!  Support your favorite shelter and vote today! 

How long is the Challenge, and how can we increase our chances?
This voting round begins on January 9, 2012, and ends at midnight (PT) on March 18, 2012. There will be other voting rounds throughout the year - more chances for your organization to win! The more friends you can rally to vote for your favorite rescue organization, the better its chances of winning. Every vote, every day counts - shelters can pull ahead even during the last few days with enough support. Get people involved! Your favorite rescue organization is counting on you!

What kind of grant could my shelter win?
Seventy (70) grants will be awarded for a total of $75,000 to eligible Petfinder.com members during the very first voting round of the 2012 Challenge. The grand prize will go to the eligible Petfinder.com organization with the highest accumulative votes for the duration of the Challenge as specified in the rules.

The Prizes Are:
Grand Prize:  One $5,000 grant!
Dark Horse Grand Prize:  One $2,000 grant!
Dark Horse Runners Up:  Five $1,000 grants.
State Winners:  Fifty-one $1,000 state grants
  (50 U.S. states and Washington D.C.)
Canadian Winners:  One $1,000 grant will be awarded.
International Winner:  One $1,000 grant will be awarded.
Weekly Winners:  Ten $1,000 grants will be awarded, one for each week of this voting round of the Shelter⁺ Challenge.

A big pansy after I read this story.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,538724,00.html?mep

PORT TAMPA, Fla. —  Yolanda Segovia heard a knock on her door one morning, just before 8 a.m.

Her neighbor was on the porch, with a dog and a story.

Stacey Savige had found the little dog in front of an elementary school. He wasn't very big, looked like some sort of terrier. Burrs clung to his belly. His honey fur was caked in mud.

He didn't have a collar. Stacey had taken him to the vet and he didn't have a chip, either.

Now Stacey had to go to work. Could Yolanda keep him?

Yolanda is 47. She's a divorced mom with two boys. In recent years she has survived breast cancer and cervical cancer, lost her dark hair and eyelashes to chemo. A hairdresser, she hasn't worked since 2006.

"You can leave the dog here," Yolanda told Stacey. "But just for today."

Only finish it if you want to be teary eyed in a good way.

THERE IS A $30 FEE FOR ALL ANIMALS, A $35 REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT FOR ANY ANIMAL NOT SPAYED OR NEUTERED, AND ALL DOGS MUST BE LICENSED BEFORE LEAVING THE SHELTER.

PLEASE CONSIDER ADOPTING A SHELTER ANIMAL TODAY! 

HOW SWEET IT IS TO BE LOVED BY YOU!
Maxine, Bruno & Scooter

TAKE A CHANCE ON ME! Socks the Cat

DUTCH vs THE SANDMAN 

I WANT TO BE LOVED BY YOU...  Missie the Cat