Reflections on 2018: The Fire Department's Year
It was a busy year for the Weirton Fire Department.
In August, the City Council approved the implementation of the Fire Prevention Bureau. This set up the authority of the fire department to have 1 fire marshal, Captain Amedeo Mastrantoni, and 2 assistant marshals, Mikel Serafine and Jason Kazmirski. These marshals have the statuatory authority to investigate fire safety as they work hand in hand with code enforcement and the police department. They also have the ability to submit evidence directly to the West Virginia State Police lab.
The fire training center at the County Road Station obtained a special gas cylinder vehicle car simulator to help train firefighters in responding to a vehicle fire. A new Target Solutions Training Package was also implemented successfully, helping to track and register training while also providing access to training classes. This software also tracks credentials and expirations.
Fire education in the community also remained a priority this year, with continued fire prevention being taught in schools and a Fire Safety Fair held in October in cooperation with ArcelorMittal USA, Weirton Medical Center Careers, Lowe's Home Improvement, Weirton Firefighters IAFF Local 948, and the Weirton, West Virginia - City Government.
