Pequea Valley JULY 16, 2025
SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
REACHING MORE THAN 7,160 HOMES
VOL LXI • NO 30
Lafayette To Return to Chester, Lancaster Counties
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TROPHY WALL
BY FRANCINE FULTON
for an EMT is about 175 hours for Pennsylvania state certification,” explained Johnson. At the end of the class, students who pass a test will become state-certified EMTs. Some go on to become career EMTs. Johnson noted that while there is a charge for the class, students who go on to make a commitment to run with PVFD and complete the orientation process will be reimbursed. “Most (EMTs) trained in the in-house program are from the area, and most stay (to volunteer),” noted Johnson, who explained that PVFD previously ran a training program in partnership with another agency.
The Marquis de L afayette was a 19-year-old Frenchman who volunteered to join the Continental Army during the Revolutionar y War in 1777. He was able to secure France’s assistance in the war effort, which has been credited in the success of the Continental Army’s defeat of the British at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. In 1824, President James Monroe invited Lafayette to return to America, a trip that became known as Lafayette’s “Farewell Tour.” Planning to stay just three months, Lafayette extended his visit to 13 months because of the number of people who wanted to honor the Revolutionary War hero. During 1824 and 1825, Lafayette traveled more than 6,000 miles to all 24 states in the country, including Pennsylvania. To commemorate the 200th anniversary of that visit, American Friends of Lafayette established a nationwide committee consisting of more than 500 individuals representing those 24 states that Lafayette visited. Events are being planned by communities to trace Lafayette’s footsteps on the exact dates and in the exact order he followed on his Farewell Tour of America. Locally, a re-creation of his visit to Lancaster and Chester counties will take place on Sunday, July 27, through Tuesday, July 29. The event has been in the planning stages for the
See PVFD pg 5
See Lafayette pg 2
Help Wanted … Will Train Fire Department Needs a Few Good Volunteers
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e always need volunteers for both firefighters and EMS (emergency medical services),” said Dave Johnson, deputy chief w ith the Pe quea Valle y Fire Department (PVFD). To make it easier for area residents to become certified emergency medical technicians (EMTs), PVFD is working to become accredited to hold training at the station, 3204 Vigilant St., Gordonville. Johnson explained that PVFD will be accredited by the Pennsylvania Department of
Health and the Emergency Health Services Federation. “We will be able to offer in-house training (run by our staff), and we expect to have that finalized by August,” said Johnson. PVFD firefighter training is done at the Lancaster County Public Safety Training Center. “That’s roughly 130 hours for fire essentials,” said Johnson, who added that internal training is held monthly at PVFD. According to Johnson, training sessions for EMTs will begin in September or October and run for five months with classes meeting two nights a week. “Basic training
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Pequea Valley Fire Department first responders include (from left) Riley Kilheffer, Nikki Bills, Dave Johnson, Darlene Beiler, and Ken Barton.
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