The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Unfortunately in today's world you never know what can happen. School budgets are extremely tight, safety of students and staff is always a priority and with that in mind, Boy Scout Troop 61 in Oquawka used retired fire hose to make safety door sleeves.
The project is called "Blue Heart" and they came across the idea on Facebook. They approached Mrs. Markey with the idea and with her approval moved forward with the project.
Although West Central has protocol in place for emergency situations, the sleeves will add one more layer to secure doors in case of an event that hopefully will never happen. You simply slide the sleeve over the hanger arm, push it snug and that's it. Quick and simple, prohibiting the door from being opened from the outside.
The Oquawka and Gladstone Volunteer Fire Departments didn't hesitate to donate when asked if they had retired fire hose to repurpose for the project.
The fire hoses were then cut up into 12 inch pieces and stenciled with T61 (Troop 61) and a blue heart.
185 sleeves were presented to West Central School District 235 Superintendent Paula Markey to be used throughout the school district.
They are always looking for service projects that will help our communities while teaching our scouts to always try to make a difference, "Be Prepared" and "Do A Good Turn Daily."
Scoutmaster Scott Ray, Mikhail West, Parker Brownlee, WC Superintendent Paula Markey, Parker Moede, Conner Moede and Assistant Scoutmaster Steve Moede.