Schools
Lower Moreland School Board Honors Township First Responders
The May Lion's Pride Award recipients are the township's police department, emergency management agency and the Huntingdon Valley Fire Co.
Dr. Marykay Feely, Lower Moreland School District superintendent, presented the May Lion’s Pride Award to the first-responders serving Lower Moreland Township.
The award presentation, which took place at the Tuesday Lower Moreland School Board business meeting, recognized the Lower Moreland Township Police Department, Huntingdon Valley Fire Co. and the township’s Emergency Management Agency, as crucial and valued members of the Lower Moreland School District community.
“Our desire to have this recognition this evening, really stems from the assistance the departments provided to the district and the Lower Moreland community during Hurricane Sandy,” Feely said. “Then, after the tragedy that happened in Newtown, Connecticut, we knew we had to do this.”
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Feely expressed gratitude of the bravery that first responders exhibit when doing rushing out to emergency situations. Prior to the presentation, she had requested a moment of silence for Captain Michael Goodwin of the Philadelphia Fire Department, who lost his life in the line of duty, April 6; as well as a moment for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.
Feely, in her presentation, said there already exists a strong working relationship between the school district and the various first responders of the township. She explained that the township’s police, fire company and emergency management works with the school district through its Safe Schools Committee, in which respective members meet with school officials on a monthly basis to provide insight and advice on school safety measures.
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The representatives also work with building staff in order to ensure that school buildings are in compliance with safety best practices.
Feely said the township’s first responders were especially reassuring and helpful immediately after the Newtown tragedy, stating that first-responder presence was greatly felt as they committed to walk-through visits to get to know students, staff and layout of buildings.
“After that tragedy, we were relieved to know that they were just a phone call away,” Feely said. “They are truly partners of the School District in every sense of the word.”
Later in the business meeting, it was noted that an Armed-Intruder drill is scheduled within the district for sometime in May.
Uniformed members from each of the respective first responder agency were present during the award presentation. Accepting the award:
- On behalf of the Lower Moreland Police Department was Chief Peter Hasson;
- On behalf of the Huntingdon Valley Fire Department was Ronald Herwig;
- On behalf of the Lower Moreland Emergency Management agency was Rich Worthington.
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