A Springfield Township firefighter/paramedic was promoted to lieutenant and another was moved to full time during a swearing in ceremony at the trustees December 20 meeting.
At the recommendation of Fire Chief Barry Cousino, Greg May, a long-time township firefighter/paramedic, was sworn in as lieutenant, effective immediately.
“He has been with us for 17 years,” the chief said, adding he replaces Jonathan Gillen who is resigning as a full-time lieutenant, effective January 2. Mr. Gillen, who is leaving for another full-time position, will remain with the department on a contingent basis.
Lt. May’s promotion left an opening, which will be filled by firefighter/paramedic Jared Denman. “Jared has been here part time for five or six months and is full time with Napoleon,” the chief said. “He does an excellent job for us.”
Mr. Denman will begin work on January 3 with a six month probationary rate of $25.50 per hour.
A graduate of Cleveland State University with a bachelor of science in nursing, he is a certified firefighter I and II. He is an EMT/paramedic with experience in the field, emergency department and trauma ICU unit.
The trustees congratulated the men on their new posts. “I’m so proud of the quality of people you have been able to get,” Trustee Bob Bethel told the fire chief.
November Run Report
Chief Cousino presented the department’s November run report. There were 377 calls for help in the areas served by the township, which include Springfield, Holland, Harding, Spencer and Swanton townships.
Of those, Springfield had the most, 283, followed by Holland, 39; Spencer, 18; Swanton, 14, and Harding, five.
The department also responded to mutual/auto aid calls for Monclova Township, eight; Sylvania Township, four; Toledo and Sylvania, two apiece, and Maumee, one.
The majority of calls were EMS, 233, followed by assist invalids, 28; no incident upon arrival, 20; motor vehicle accidents with injuries and dispatched and canceled en route, 14 each; motor vehicle accidents without injuries, 13; police matters, 10, and alarm system activations, eight.
The department conducted 12 inspections last month including reinspections, four; state, three, and annual, adoption/foster, alarm, special and hood suppression, one apiece.
In addition, five site plans were approved for Federal Aerospace Institute, 11371 West Airport Service, interior alteration; Brookwood Landscaping, 10250 Geiser Road, new construction; Pet Smart, 1450 Spring Meadows Drive, fire alarm alteration; Cold Stone Creamery, 9140 Angola Road, interior alteration, and Furniture Row, 1240 East Mall Drive, fire alarm alteration.
There were no fire investigations in November.
Other Business
In other business, the trustees:
•Authorized the purchase of rescue equipment from Howel Rescue Systems for $47,775.
Chief Cousino said the purchase includes a hydraulic spreader, cutter, ram tools and batteries with charging systems. They also are ordering airbags for use in lifting heavy equipment or cars, and rescue struts.
He pointed out the equipment is used for incidents along several major traffic corridors.
“We evaluated our existing heavy rescue equipment and found some of it is outdated and in need of replacement,” the chief added.
•Approved the purchase of a REALTi 360 control module simulator for training purposes. The equipment, obtained through iSimulate USA costs $8,995.
The fire chief said the department has implemented several aggressive protocol changes for first responders. “The changes that have been made are crucial to the survival of our critical patients.”
He believes the unit is necessary to train personnel in rapid sequence intervention or to create an airway.
The module enables instructors to teach remotely and provide high-fidelity simulations completely independent from the location of the clinical training site, he explained.
The equipment makes training as realistic as possible, and he pointed out, it can be used with mannequins the department already has.
“It elevates our training level to a much higher point than in the past,” he added.
•Learned that the Lucas County 911 Council of Governments, on which the fire chief sits, is preparing for collective bargaining with the newly formed group of 911 dispatchers and telecommunications personnel.
•Received an overview of the department’s continuing partnership with Promedica and their injury prevention and community outreach department.
“We are offering child car seat fitting dates at our stations. These dates generally occur once a month and alternate between stations 51 and 53,” the chief explained.
“The program provides an opportunity to engage one-to-one with our community members,” he said, adding, “We offer fire safety literature, smoke alarms and answer any questions they may have while the car seat is properly installed by qualified technicians.”
•Learned that the department met with Springfield High School athletic trainers to review spinal immobilization scenarios. “These trainings allow for a more seamless transition when an injury occurs,” Chief Cousino noted.
The next trustees meeting will be at 5 p.m., Tuesday, January 18, at the township meeting hall, 7617 Angola Road, and is open to the public. The meeting also can be viewed via the livestream at springfieldtownship.net.
~Jane Maiolo
