On May 6, the Round Hill Volunteer Fire Company (RHVFC) and its members donated critical PPE (personal protective equipment) to key organizations in Greenwich, including Greenwich Hospital, GEMS, Greenwich Fire Dept, Greenwich Volunteer Firefighters, and the Greenwich Police Department to support their efforts to fight the COVID-19 virus.
More than 10,000 surgical masks and 200 Tyvek suits were distributed to the organizations by members of RHVFC.
The initiative was spearheaded by RHVFC member, volunteer firefighter, and Treasurer Stephanie Leone-Kim who was inspired by the distribution of masks donated by Bob Greenhill by another RHVFC member, Mike Mahaffy, to Town organizations. In speaking of what drove her to act, Leone-Kim said “we are all in this together. We were fortunate to be able to secure the PPE through our partner, Ribbon for Humanity, for our community and be able to help. If others want to join our efforts, we can continue to support those on the front lines fighting COVID-19.”
District Chief Rick Strain said, “The Round Hill Volunteer Fire Company has been serving Greenwich for more than 70 years.
This is an extraordinary time and we all need to support each other and work together.”
Assistant Chief Sharon Strain, Vice President David Chass and Leone-Kim made the deliveries to the various organizations. Accepting on behalf of the organizations were:
• Anna Cerra, Chief Nursing Officer and Senior VP of Patient Care Services, Greenwich Hospital
• Patrick O’Connor, Director of Operations, Greenwich Emergency Medical Services
• Deputy Chief Larry Roberts, Greenwich Fire Department
• Chief of Police Jim Heavey, Greenwich Police Department
In April, the Round Hill Volunteer Fire Company also provided meals for the doctors, nurses and staff at Greenwich Hospital in appreciation for their efforts since COVID-19 reached Greenwich. RHVFC members and its apparatus, including the state’s largest tanker, also participated in the two “drive-by” celebrations of the Greenwich Hospital workers coordinated by the Greenwich Police Department.
For 72 years, the Round Hill Volunteer Fire Company has served the backcountry of Greenwich and has supported the fire service town wide. RHVFC is the only all-volunteer fire company in Greenwich and responds to an average of 350-400 calls per year, ranging from structure fires to fallen power lines. RHVFC will be undertaking a significant renovation of its building in 2020 to modernize its infrastructure to better serve the community for the next 75+ years.