Correspondent photo / Sean Barron Lt. Abbie Buday of the Western Reserve Joint Fire District demonstrates a CPR machine and cardiac monitor using a dummy as part of an open house Tuesday at Fire Station 92 in Poland to celebrate the WRJFD’s 100-year anniversary.

POLAND — At the end of one of Nina Corbari’s popsicle sticks was not the usual flavored treat, but a small sticker showing Smokey Bear.

“She loves animals, and it’s important to prevent fires in the woods where animals live,” Fernanda Balen, a biologist of Poland, said about her daughter, Nina, 7.

Fun as it may have been to glue the stickers to the sticks, the activity also had a serious undertone, because it was a way to teach Nina and other children the importance of preventing forest fires and practicing fire safety at home.

That was one of several fire-safety-themed activities set up at Tuesday’s open house at Fire Station 92, 7619 Youngstown-Pittsburgh Road, to celebrate the Western Reserve Joint Fire District’s 100-year anniversary.

Since 1984, the district has served Poland Township and Village.

Working with Nina and other children was Jake Ezzo, who’s been with the district about eight years.

“It’s important for them to know outdoor safety, like to put a campfire out before you leave,” Ezzo advised.

With summer approaching and young people out of school, it’s vital that they also stay away from bonfires unless accompanied by parents, and to inform adults if they see a fire, regardless of its size, he explained.

The WRJFD has about 60 volunteer firefighters, 50 of whom also are trained as emergency medical technicians, Jim

Stewart, one of the assistant fire chiefs, noted.

The station is equipped with three ambulances, a heavy-rescue truck, a command vehicle, a classroom, and engine and ladder apparatus.

The district began in 1923, when community members often formed so-called bucket brigades in which they got in line to pass buckets of water to one another to extinguish a fire. When it became apparent that better and safer firefighting techniques existed, 10 men petitioned Poland Village council, which passed legislation to start a fire department in the village, Stewart explained.

The new department got its first fire truck, which was from Youngstown. City firefighters also assisted with training and teaching village personnel about various firefighting fundamentals, Stewart continued.

Those who practice basic safety fundamentals at home include Melissa Katsaros of Poland, who brought daughter Alexandria, 4, to the open house.

“We tell her not to touch a hot oven or electrical outlets,” Katsaros said.

During the open house, Alexandria was far from touching those or any other dangerous appliances. Instead, she enjoyed making contact with the steering wheel of a toy firetruck she rode through the station and wearing a bright-red plastic hat.

Also on hand was Lt. Abbie Buday, a 10-year WRJFD member who was demonstrating a CPR machine and cardiac monitor. The machine has the capability to do 102 compressions per minute — a vital tool if someone is in cardiac arrest and extenuating circumstances make it impossible to perform stationary CPR, she explained.

The American Heart Association has stated that for every minute without CPR, the chances of a person in cardiac arrest surviving decreases 10 percent, Buday stressed.

“I go into schools and teach kids about fire prevention,” Bill O’Hara, the district’s fire-prevention officer, said.

O’Hara, who has 53 years of firefighting experience, also discusses topics such as safety in homes and places of employment for a variety of civic organizations and clubs as well as adult groups. In addition, he stresses the importance of the “stop, drop and roll” technique that should be used if one’s clothes catch on fire.

When the WRJFD began in 1923, its first engine truck cost $150, Chief David C. “Chip” Comstock Jr., said.

The district is replacing some vehicles that are 25 to 30 years old. In February 2022, a new $700,000 vehicle was ordered and is expected to arrive in March or April 2024, Comstock added.

Firefighting may have undergone countless upgrades and changes in 100 years, but one thing that remains constant is “neighbor helping neighbor,” he said.

The open house had pamphlets and tips on fire safety, including checking smoke detectors once per month and changing their batteries annually, and knowing when to call 911. Information also was available regarding house fires, such as staying low and leaving immediately, yelling “fire’ so everyone is aware of the danger, and calling 911 from another location, while refraining from touching a hot door, trying to extinguish a fire oneself, returning to a burning structure and stopping to take personal possessions.

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