Springfield Township’s fire department will be acquiring new radios and receiving a much-needed renovation to the kitchen at one of the fire stations.
At the May 16 meeting, the township trustees approved the purchase of five mobile radios, six port microphones and 12 portable batteries at a cost of $17,509 from Motorola Solutions.
The trustees also approved renovations to the McCord Road fire station kitchen.
Fire Chief Barry Cousino said the kitchen was last updated in the 1990s and has cabinets and flooring that are in disrepair. “It’s time to do some renovation work.”
The trustees authorized D2 Dodson Construction of Holland to perform the work at a cost of $27,796.
The project will entail the installation of new upper and lower cabinets, a new sink, replacement flooring and new switches and plugs. The room also will be painted.
March/April Fire Reports
Chief Cousino presented fire department reports for March and April.
There were 352 calls for service in March in the areas served by the township which include the Village of Holland and Harding, Spencer, Springfield and Swanton townships.
Of those, 220 were EMS and 10 were fire. Other calls included 55 public service assistance and five spills.
In April, they responded to 387 calls, 237 of which were EMS and 19 fire. In addition, they responded to 60 public service assistance calls, followed by 19 canceled en route; 18 wrong locations; 11 unintentional system; nine system malfunctions; five electrical, and three spills and leaks.
Over the last two months, the department conducted 23 inspections, including final, five, followed by state and adoption/foster, four apiece; annual, re-inspections, fire alarms and sprinklers, two each, and abandoned/unsafe and special, one each.
In addition, 13 site plans were reviewed and approved for Stone Oak Country Club, 100 Stone Oak, new restroom and hood suppression; Athletico, 7117 Orchard Centre Drive, new business; Pugh Heating, 6400 Hamilton East Drive, fire alarm; Texas Roadhouse, 6137 Trust Drive, remodel; Jiffy Lube, 1411 South McCord Road, new construction; Velocity Enterprise Solutions, 11300 Crosswinds, sprinkler; ANR Pipeline, 855 South Raab Road, new construction; Midwest Tape, 1417 Timberwolf Drive, fire protection; Alliance Building, 7300 International Drive, new elevator; Lucas County engineer’s office, 1035 South McCord Road, structural; Value City Furniture, 1301 East Mall Drive, fire alarm, and Roy Dental, 7100 Spring Meadows West Drive, interior renovations.
Seven structure fire investigations were conducted, five of which were ruled accidental. Those are 9047 Sand Ridge, dining room, $600,000; 6419 Bancroft Street, living room, $150,000; 1800 North McCord Road, bedroom, $14,000; 1067 Hamilton Road, manufacturing, $200,000, and 1002 Angola Road, open area, $2,000.
Two other structural fires were 2980 South Crissey Road, bedroom, $140,000, electrical, and 201 Shrewsbury, shelterhouse, intentional, $500.
Other Business
In other fire department business, the trustees:
•Approved the sale through GovDeals of old fire department equipment, including a 1999 F550 Ford brush truck. “We really don’t use it,” the chief said, noting they have four-wheel drive and all terrain vehicles that do a better job.
Other items to be auctioned as surplus equipment include foam pro unit, Canon camera, chainsaw parts, Sutphen fire truck parts, oxygen tanks, mounting brackets and assorted fire nozzles and extinguishers.
•Proclaimed the week of May 15 to 21 as Emergency Medical Services Week.
In the resolution, the trustees noted that “EMS provides lifesaving care 24 hours a day, dramatically improving the survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury.”
•Learned that the department conducted a CPR and first aid course for 31 youth summer camp employees at Maumee Valley Church, and a stop the bleed/first aid course for 33 JROTC students at Springfield High School.
The department continues to offer car seat fittings for residents at stations 51 and 53. Call 419-865-4136 for more information.
•Reviewed training taken by department members in April. Those included attending a building construction course which helped firefighters to predict entry points, fire spread and search and rescue operation; de-escalating training for first responders and a salvage and overhaul course for firefighters.
“Salvage is the protection of buildings and their contents from unnecessary damage due to smoke, water, heat and other factors,” explained Chief Cousino.
Department members also participated in rail car incident response training presented by the University of Findlay. “It was one of the best trainings we’ve had,” the chief said.
•Learned that the chief continues to seek revenue sources to support the HERO program.
“There have been other states that have successfully passed legislation that permits agencies to bill insurance for their services,” said the fire chief, adding that the program continues to do very well in the township.
HERO, a joint venture with Sylvania Township, stands for Health, Education, Resource and Outreach. The program offers services to residents who are in need of assistance, empowering them to take charge of their health.
The next trustees meeting will be at 5 p.m., Monday, June 6, at the township meeting hall, 7617 Angola Road, and is open to the public.
