GOOD WORK At the Mt. Lebanon Police Department’s annual dinner, Police Chief Coleman McDonough named Detective Jeffrey Heidenreich the department’s 2011 Officer of the Year. Every year, the department bestows the honor on an officer who has demonstrated a commitment to excellence through outstanding work performance, initiative, leadership and effective personal relations. McDonough says Heidenreich was singled out based on his performance during his first year of work in investigative services where his duties included evidence custodian, photography instructor, assisting patrol officers with search warrant

affidavits and background investigator. His experience in covert video surveillance helped solve five burglaries that took place last year in Mt. Lebanon’s business districts. McDonough also presented Cpl. Daniel Hyslop, Cpl. Thomas Rutowski and Lt. Robert Kwiatowski with the police department’s Life Saving Award for their actions on December 10, 2011, in which they rescued an elderly man from an apartment fire. The man was confused and made no attempt to leave the building. McDonough says the officers provided leadership and poise under pressure and that their actions reflect the department’s tradition of excellence and service. Also recognized with a Life Saving Award was Officer Jeffrey Frolo. Last September, Frolo responded to a call reporting a possible heart attack. Arriving on the scene, Frolo found an unconscious 54-year-old male and used an automated external defibrillator to revive him. The action worked, and by the time paramedics arrived the man had a pulse.

RUN FOR A CAUSE Last year’s Mogadishu Mile 5K fundraiser was so successful it will return 6 p.m., Thursday, October 4. Details, such as a location, are still being worked out (last year it was held at Jefferson Middle School track), so check www.mtlfd.org starting in early July for updates and a registration form. The race commemorates the events of October 3-4, 1993, when U.S. Rangers and Delta Force operators engaged in a 16-hour battle in the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia, that concluded with the troops having to run more than a mile under fire to safety. Mt. Lebanon Fire and Police Departments host the 5K as a fundraiser for the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization that provides programs and services to severely injured service members. If you have questions, call 412-440-2055.

FIGHT THE FIRE The Mt. Lebanon Fire Department’s Citizens Fire Academy returns Wednesday September 5, with a twist. This time the class will be hosted jointly with the Dormont and Castle Shannon fire departments. The free class runs 7 to 10 p.m., Wednesdays through October 24 with a special graduation ceremony on Thursday, November 8. Classes will be held at the Mt. Lebanon Public Safety Building at 555 Washington Road, the Castle Shannon Fire Department on Library Road and the Dormont recreation and pool parking lot off Banksville Road. Class sessions include operating the Jaws of Life on an old car, riding in the bucket of the aerial ladder, CPR certification and fire suppression. Students receive turnout gear and get a chance to try on self-contained breathing apparatus. Students will get a chance to showcase the skills they’ve learned at a final session from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, November 3, at the Washington County Fire Academy.“The CFA is a great opportunity to see how the local fire department operates and how it interacts with the people in the community,” says 2011 academy grad Krister Nielsen, Inglewood Drive. “The fire exercise in the end is really great. It makes you appreciate what firefighters do and gives you a new perspective of the environment that they work in.” Nielsen enjoyed the class so much he became a volunteer firefighter and is currently completing his initial certification.With the class being opened to a larger audience, Fire Chief Nick Sohyda recommends that interested residents and business owners register early. Forms are available at the public safety building and at www.mtlfd.org.