Aug 13, 2023

Steele credited Bell for initiating procedures aimed at supporting firefighter health and safety. “ ‘Everybody goes home’ was my motto when I took over as chief,” Bell said of the increased focus on firefighter safety. That includes a system for marking vacant, dilapidated buildings in the city with a red “x,” alerting responding firefighters to potential safety hazards inside. That system, inspired by a similar procedure in Chicago, was a response to a growing number of abandoned buildings in the city. Without the distinctive marking, Bell said, “Nobody would know if maybe a floor is missing, a stairwell is not there or the floor is rotted from water leaking in.” Bell made it mandatory for firefighters to submit their uniforms for laundering after responding to a fire call. The service is provided through an agreement with a local laundromat. “When we’ve had a big fire, we’ve dropped off 10 or 15 suits at a time,” he said. The wisdom of that protocol has been driven home by heightened concerns about health risks firefighters face through potential exposure to toxic substances at emergency scenes. “We didn’t do decontamination very well prior to Tom coming on board,” Steele said. “Back in the day, having dirty equipment was like a badge of honor for firefighters. Now, we’ve done a complete 180 from that. We’re doing as much as possible to keep our members safe.” Steele noted three of the department’s six fire stations have been equipped with machines designed to decontaminate fire gear, including boots, helmets and breathing apparatus. Three more of the machines are on order, he said. Under Bell’s leadership, the department’s junior firefighter program has expanded to include kids as young as 12. There are 18 youths currently participating in the program. “Our biggest success is being able to take kids at 12 years old and show them what we do,” Bell said. “When they turn 14, they can get into drilling and laying hose lines.” With parental permission, he said, the youths join the Greensburg firefighters on educational field trips, to see how other departments in the Pittsburgh area operate. “They’ve also visited our county hazmat response team station and walked to our museum, so they can learn the history of our department,” he said. The firefighters-to-be also learn first aid and CPR procedures, home fire safety practices and fire extinguisher skills. Lifetime of service Bell’s commitment to the Greensburg fire department parallels his long service to city government. That began at the city-owned Mt. Odin Golf Course. Bell started by watering the greens on the course at night, and he became the course superintendent in 1997, after his father, Russell, retired from the job. In 2016, Bell took on his current duties as the city’s public works director. Bell is “always there for the community,” said Greensburg Mayor Robb Bell, who is not related to the fire chief. The mayor is among local officials who submitted letters supporting the fire chief’s award nomination. The mayor praised Tom Bell as “a huge asset to the city, noting the success of the junior firefighter program during his time as chief. “He has this can-do attitude. He never says no. “Somehow he gets everything done, and he always makes it look like it’s easy.” The mayor said the Chief of the Year award is “a really nice honor for Tom, for the fire department and the city. It puts the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department on the map. People will start looking at the types of techniques he uses and the manner in which he manages the fire department.” When Tom Bell accepts his award, he’ll provide a good look at one of the Greensburg department’s distinctive white parade uniforms. “I’m going to wear my Class A’s,” he said. Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff by email at jhimler@triblive.com or via Twitter . Categories:Local | Westmoreland