Eagle Scout project helps Upper St. Clair Fire Department
Upper St. Clair volunteer firefighters will be able to locate fire hydrants in the township more quickly thanks to the efforts of Eagle Scout Curt Leonard.
A senior at Upper St. Clair High School, Curt’s Eagle Scout project was to map and log all the fire hydrants in the township by obtaining and verifying the GPS coordinates of more than 400 hydrants.
Curt was able to provide The Upper St. Clair Volunteer Fire Department with an Excel spreadsheet database, which firefighters can use to locate the nearest hydrant en route to a fire or emergency.
Prior to the project, The USC fire department had a list of hydrants by address, but there were some inaccuracies with that list and some hydrants were damaged or obscured from view.
While gathering information on each hydrant, Curt also visually checked hydrants for any obvious issues. Assisting Curt with his Eagle project, which took approximately 125 hours, were 14 Scouts and three adult leaders.
“Every minute is critical when responding to a fire, and Curt’s project will help us save time locating a water source, especially when it’s dark or during inclement weather,” USC fire Chief Steve Moore said.
Moore said residents with fire hydrants on their properties can help by keeping trees, plants and other vegetation approximately four feet away from the hydrant. After a snowfall, clearing snow away from a hydrant is helpful and greatly appreciated by the firefighters, he said.
Curt said he wanted to do an Eagle Scout project that would help the community in an impactful way, and the GPS database of fire hydrants will help the fire department save lives.
Curt has been a Boy Scout since second grade, starting out as a Cub Scout with Pack 661. He earned his Arrow of Light in 2010 and graduated to Boy Scout Troop 366 at Westminster Presbyterian Church. A brotherhood member of Order of the Arrow, Curt attended Philmont high adventure camp in New Mexico, where he hiked approximately 100 miles in backcountry wilderness in July 2015.
In addition to scouting, Curt is a member of the high school varsity hockey team, ski club and National Honor Society. He also plays guitar and runs his own lawn-care business.
After graduation, Curt, the son of Clay and Cheryl Leonard, plans to major in chemical engineering at Penn State University.
The Eagle Scout rank is the highest achievement in the Boy Scout of America program obtained only after a Boy Scout spends years fulfilling requirements in the areas of leadership, service and outdoor skills.
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Terry Kish/ FOR THE ALMANAC
Eagle Scout Curt Leonard receives a proclamation from state Sen. Guy Reschenthaler.