12-04-2025
Local fire department recalls responding to emergency during fish fry
Week six of Fish Fridays continued at West Mead #2 Volunteer Fire Department, which brought community members in the doors of their social hall for a tasty meal.
'We have baked, fried fish. Our other option tonight happens to be lasagna. We always serve another option because not everyone likes fish. We do this every year. Every year, we've gotten very lucky where it gets busier and busier,' said Janet Courson, assistant fire chief of the West Mead #2 Volunteer Fire Department.
The first responders have been serving at least 200 meals a night, and Coursen said it's an opportunity for residents to meet their local firefighters in a more pleasant setting.
'People don't always see us unless it's an emergency. This is an opportunity to see pretty much our entire fire department working together doing something that's not an emergency. This is just [to] come see who we are, put a face to a name,' said Coursen.
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During week five of the lent fish dinners, there was a call for help in the middle of the dinner.
'We were assisting Cambridge Springs at a structure fire. I was here early in the afternoon. We had other people coming in, and as soon as the alarm went off, we assembled, and we said 'Okay, you're going, you're staying, you're going, you're staying,'' said James Pratt, fire chief of the West Mead #2 Volunteer Fire Department.
This was a chance for community members of Meadville to respond while first responders carried out their duties of service.
'Todd called and said, 'Hey, we just got called out. I have two people here; can you guys come and help?' And my husband and I are like, 'Yep, we're on our way,'' said Susan Ferguson, a Meadville resident. 'My husband called our friends Dave and Rob, and they'd come in and helped also wait tables, clean up tables.'
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Now, usually, we see community members showing their appreciation for firefighters, but the fire chief here said his staff was showing their praise to the community.
'When we came back, we saw all the people. It was like, overwhelming. So very nice to see. We're grateful for them, and anything that anybody can do is great,' said Pratt.
'It makes you feel good that you have the community standing behind you and able to do things to help,' said Ferguson.
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