Another member of the Springfield Township fire department has joined the ranks of retiring members.
Lynda Bennett, firefighter/paramedic, was recognized by the trustees and her peers at the June 18 meeting.
“She has been a great employee for 32 years,” said Acting Fire Chief Jonathon Ziehr, adding, she was the first woman firefighter at the township.
“Today we are approaching a 20 percent female staff,” he noted.
Bennett received a proclamation commending her on her years of service.
Assistant Fire Chief Andrew Sauder read the proclamation into the official record.
Bennett joined the fire department as a part-time volunteer firefighter/EMT in 1992.
In 2005, she was hired as a part-time firefighter/EMT, and in 2007 she became a full-time firefighter/paramedic.
In the proclamation, the trustees noted that Bennett “competed in the National Journal of Emergency Medicine Competition five straight years and delivered a set of twins and one baby during her career.
“We take this opportunity to express our sincere and grateful appreciation and extend our congratulations on her wellearned retirement and best wishes for continued success, happiness and good health in the years to come,” the trustees wrote.
Bennett’s retirement is the latest in a string of fellow firefighters who retired from the department over the past several months.
Sauder said the firefighters were all hired full time when the department went to fulltime status. He noted that to receive the pension, they needed to be here at least 15 years.
The retirees over the past few months “hit that plateau,” he explained, adding, “We don’t anticipate any more in the near future.”
May Statistics
The acting fire chief presented the fire report from May.
Last month, the department responded to 391 calls, 273 of which were EMS. Station 51 on McCord Road fielded the majority of calls, 217, followed by Garden Road, 98, and Frankfort Road, 76.
The majority of calls were for Springfield Township, 284; followed by Holland, 50; Swanton Township, 17; Spencer Township, 15 and Harding Township, eight.
They also provided mutual aid to Sylvania Township and Maumee, six apiece; Monclova Township, two, and Swanton, Sylvania and Wauseon, one each.
Ziehr noted that three site plans were conducted for Honey Baked Foods, Inc., 6145 Merger Drive, remodel; USA Insulation, 1590 Albon Road, remodel, and Hidden Wood, King and Nebraska, site plan review.
There were 28 fire inspections conducted, according to fire inspector Dave Moore, including 19 inspections and nine reinspections.
The department investigated five fires, four of which were structural. The structural fires and causes are 7170 Quail Lakes Road, bathroom, electrical, $95,000 damage; 6535 Abbey, roof air conditioning malfunction, $2,000; 65014 Danny Lane, stove, accidental, $2,000 and 404 Appleton, unknown and undetermined, $125,000.
They also investigated a vehicle fire at South Crissey Road. The origin was a tractor axle malfunction, and damage was set at $3,000.
Other Business
In other fire department business, the trustees:
•Approved work on doors and frames at Fire Station 51 on South McCord Road. Dodson Construction LLC of Holland will perform the work at a cost of $7,980.
•Learned that Station 51 Crew members installed a concrete pad by the newly installed baby box to allow for easy access to the box and make it look more appealing.
“They also planted flowers around the area,” said Ziehr, adding that materials and time worked were donated.
In a related matter, the department held an inauguration before placing the baby box in service.
•Announced that the acting chief and township administrator met with the Village of Holland to discuss the fire and EMS services contract.
•Received an update on plans for the Freedom Celebration on June 29. “Fire department activities were coordinated to include the first aid services and inspection of the fireworks display before, during and after the exhibition,” the acting chief said.
