Firefighters partner with elementary schools for coats campaign

Members of the Pahrump Valley firefighters union are providing the gift of warmth to local school students this holiday season.

It’s the first year the local International Association of Fire Fighters Local 4068 have partnered with Operation Warm/Firefighters Coats for Kids campaign to distribute more than 60 coats to the Nye County School District here.

The coats will benefit students at the four elementary schools in Pahrump.

Union Community Outreach Coordinator Ray Delucci said the organization jumped at the opportunity to team up with the Professional Fire Fighters of Nevada, a state association that works with local unions on firefighter public relations and lobbying.

“This year the PFFN is launching their second annual Firefighters Coats for Kids campaign,” Delucci said. “We are very excited to be part of it. The IAFF program targets impoverished children living in our communities, providing them with brand new, American-made winter coats to help them sustain the cold and attend school regularly throughout the winter months.”

Roughly 30,000 winter coats have been produced nationwide specifically for the program.

“These families typically live at or below the federal poverty guidelines, and their children qualify to receive free or reduced price meals at school,” he said.

Delucci said that in addition to providing top-quality coats that have been made especially for our children in a variety of styles and colors, the program is committed to providing American-made coats.

Scott M. Gordon, secretary-treasurer of the Professional Fire Fighters of Nevada, said the organization started the Coats for Kids two years ago to localize a national campaign.

“We thought there’s another thing we can do in the communities we serve,” Gordon said. “The Coats For Kids campaign is just starting out but we thought there was a need for kids who are underprivileged, who might never get a new coat.”

The program started in North Las Vegas last year, and grew into Pahrump this year, Gordon said.

Nye County School District Superintendent Dale Norton was ebullient after learning about the local campaign.

“These coats are very nice and they’re brand new and very colorful,” he said. “They also bring a safety value to the kids too because they can be seen.”

Norton also praised the efforts of the the union for bringing the campaign to the community.

“Those guys were just incredible,” Norton said. “They were so energetic about delivering them and they really felt a great deal of accomplishment for being able to do this.”

Delucci noted the commitment the fire department has with residents in the Pahrump Valley.

“We are committed to this campaign and every year would like to increase the amount of coats donated to the school district,” he said.

Delucci said the union has “always made it a core mission to give back to the community in which we live and or work.”

He added that “these community outreach efforts show the value IAFF members bring to their communities and promote their efforts to help others beyond their jobs as firefighters and paramedics.”