Fire/EMS Year End Report - North Ridgeville, Ohio · 2016. 1. 27. · city’s first full-time fire...

North Ridgeville Fire Department

2015

Fire/EMS

Year End Report

2015 Annual Report

Table of Contents

Memorial Page………………...pg. 1-2

Message from the Chief……….pg. 3

Organizational Chart…………..pg. 4

New Fire Station Update……....pg. 5

Operations-Fire………………..pg. 6-13

Operations-EMS………………pg. 14-17

EMS Ambulance Billing……...pg. 18

Fire Prevention Report………..pg. 19-23

Fire/EMS Training Report……pg. 24-26

Facilities Maintenance………..pg. 27-29

Weshare Rescue Organization..pg. 30

WESTCOM Dispatch Center…pg. 31

Fire/EMS Grants………...........pg. 32

Annual Health Fair…………....pg. 33

Fire Museum………………….pg. 34

Community Participation……..pg. 35

Retirements/New Hires……….pg. 36-37

MISSION STATEMENT

The North Ridgeville Fire Department

is dedicated to providing a range of

programs designed to protect the lives

and property of our residents and

visitors from the adverse effects of fire,

sudden medical emergencies, and

other dangerous conditions.

When incidents occur we strive to

provide the highest level of public

safety services through effective

planning, preparedness, rapid

response and risk management while

remaining fiscally responsible to the

citizens of North Ridgeville.


Fire Station #1

7090 Avon Belden Rd.

North Ridgeville, Ohio 44039

Fire Station #2

34523 Lorain Rd.

North Ridgeville, Ohio 44039

Chief John C. Reese, EFO, Paramedic

Office Hours:

Monday-Friday 8am-4pm

Station #1- 440-327-5311

Station #2- 440-327-6000

Captain Allan “Ben” Barnett

In 2015, we lost a member of the fire department family when Captain Allan “Ben”

Barnett passed away. Ben started as a part-time Firefighter in 1971 and retired as a

Captain in 1993. Ben loved working for the fire department and was always a joy to

work with. He ultimately became a leader on the department and was respected by

many. Ben had the ability to take the young firefighters under his wing and make

them feel confident in their roles. Ben was always willing to pitch in and lend a hand

to try and make the department better. He often worked to keep the vehicles in

working order and even painted several of the vehicles to keep the department

looking good. Ben responded to several historical fires in his career on the North

Ridgeville Fire Department.

Ben is survived by his wife Louise, Daughter Bonnie, Son-in-Law Matt, and

Granddaughter Ariah. Ben enjoyed hunting, fishing, boating, working on hot rod cars

and playing cards with friends. He will be missed by all.

Memorial Page

Page 1

Alfred “Al” E. Krueger

(Pictured in the Wheelchair)

In 2015, we lost a member of the fire department family when Firefighter Alfred “Al”

E. Krueger passed away. Al started as a part-time Firefighter for the City of North

Ridgeville in 1950 and retired as a full-time firefighter in 1984. Al was one of the

city’s first full-time fire force and responded to several historical fires in his career.

Al and his wife Harriet moved to Fort Myers, Florida in 1999 to enjoy their

retirement.

Al Served with the 84th infantry during the battle of the bulge. He was awarded a

silver star and purple heart. Al enjoyed gardening, bird watching, camping with his

family and was an avid Cleveland Indians fan. He is survived by his son Adam,

daughter Susan and several grandchildren and great grandchildren. Al was laid to rest

with his North Ridgeville Fire Department sweater which he wore proudly during his

career.

Memorial Page-Continued

Page 2

Message from the Chief

John C. Reese, EFO

Fire Chief


It is with great pride that I present to you the activities and

accomplishments of the personnel who serve the North Ridgeville

Fire Department. Our members provide Fire, EMS, special

operations and public education in a manner that is effective and

fiscally responsible to our taxpayers. We are a full service emergency management agency.

The Fire Department cannot and does not stand alone. The

continued support of the Mayor, Safety Service Director, Council,

City departments, residents and business owners have all made our achievements possible by everyone working together.

The year 2015 brought about the challenge of answering an

increasing number of calls for assistance utilizing our current

staffing numbers. The department also experienced some

hardships with the long term illness of two of our members and

some short term absences of others due to medical issues. These

challenges were overcome and we were able to accomplish our

goals providing service to the community without impacting the

budget. While the increasing number of calls for assistance in our

community will be an ongoing issue, we are actively pursuing

ways to improve our services and response to the community.

We are proud of the community’s confidence in the fire

department which was evident with the overwhelming passage of

Issue 32 in November to build a new Headquarters Fire Station.

The city and fire department administrations are currently working

on the measures needed to achieve the goal of a fall of 2016

groundbreaking. The new station will allow the fire department to

store all of our emergency equipment indoors, improve average

overall response times, offer expanded services to our customers

and provide a safe working environment for our city’s fire department personnel.

With the ongoing support of the community, we will continue to

provide the excellent, fiscally responsible service that our great

community deserves. We realize that the North Ridgeville Fire

Department is only as good as our personnel, the support system and the service we provide to our customers.

Thank You for your continued support !!!

John Reese,EFO

Fire Chief


Page 3

Organizational Structure

North Ridgeville Fire Officers/Staff

Fire Chief John Reese, EFO

Assist. Chief Jon Graf

Fire/EMS Training Officer

Peggy Myers

Administrative Assistant

Captain Mike Uhnak

A-Shift

Captain Paul Sadowski

B-Shift

Captain Joe Gavlak

C-Shift

Lt. Ron Schuler

B-Shift

Lt. Greg Laborie

C-Shift

Lt. Chad Warner

A-Shift

Lt. Bob Knowlton

B-Shift

Lt. Barry Cook

C-Shift

Assist. Chief Scott Bement

Fire Prevention Officer

Lt. Rick Knowlton

A-Shift

Page 4

8 Firefighter/Paramedics

A-Shift


B-Shift


C-Shift

The North Ridgeville Fire Department is extremely excited with the passage of Issue

32 in November which allows the City to construct a new Fire station to replace the

existing station #1 on Avon Belden. The bond issue will raise $8.2 million over the

next 20 years. The new location is under survey and will hopefully be off the new

Jaycox extension that will soon be under construction.

The new Fire Station (22,594 square feet) will:

Allow the Fire Department to meet the current and future needs of the

residents and designed to serve the communities needs for 30-50 years.

House 2 Fire companies as well as headquarters for Chief officers

Provide better training facilities so Fire/EMS personnel can better serve the

city and residents

Improve overall response times to emergencies

Allow proper storage of Fire apparatus and equipment

Eliminate the traffic congestion on Rt. 83 where current station #1 is

located

Include a medical triage room which will allow on duty

firefighter/Paramedics the ability to provide triage to walk in patients with

medical emergencies as well as other health programs and screenings

Allow the fire department to provide classes (eg. CPR classes ) to residents

in the state of the art classroom facility

Improve safety related fire station tours and learning opportunities for your

children

Serve as a local emergency operations center during a natural disaster or

large scale emergency

Allow the fire department to expand its overall service to the City of North

Ridgeville.

New Fire Station Update

Page 5

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Jon Graf, Paramedic

Assistant Chief

Fire/EMS Statistical Analysis

The North Ridgeville Fire Department consistently strives to deliver superb all-

hazards emergency response to our residents and area businesses. We accomplish this

by continuously evaluating our service delivery with the latest standards and best

practices. Our goal is to remain competitive, marketable and sustainable while

delivering the best possible emergency services to our customers.

In 2015, the North Ridgeville Fire Department responded to 3,260 calls for assistance

from our customers with an average response time of 6:00 minutes. Of the 3,260 calls,

2,618 were emergency medical calls and 642 were fire service related calls.

In the fire service we measure success by how quickly we can respond, the number

of lives saved and the value of the residential and commercial buildings saved. These

numbers have a direct impact on the property values in our community, insurance

premiums for residents and our area businesses, and our department’s reputation. The

combination of a well-trained firefighting force with active fire prevention helps to

prevent damages and protect the City’s property values by sustaining a thriving

residential and business community. The total estimated value of property impacted

by fire in 2015 and saved through the interventions of the North Ridgeville Fire

Department was $1,291,675.00. Of that total value, an estimated $336,525.00 was

lost.

In the beginning of 2015, a new E-One fire engine that was delivered the end of 2014

was placed into service. The new engine replaced a 1998 E-One 75’ aerial apparatus

that was sold. The proceeds from the sale of the aerial apparatus were used toward

the purchase of the new engine.

Maintaining our equipment and keeping it in a constant state of readiness is a high

priority for the fire department. Our personnel and the City’s service department

mechanics spend many hours each year maintaining our equipment to ensure that we

are always ready to respond. As in the past, we sent two of our city mechanics to the

Ohio Fire Academy for the Emergency Vehicle Technician (EVT) classes that qualify

them to work on our equipment. This investment in our mechanics has paid off for

the city. This year, our mechanics took over performing all of the annual preventative

maintenance on our fire apparatus which saved us thousands of dollars and will

continue to do so each year. The use of our service department mechanics also ensures

quality work that is done in a timely manner so we can get our equipment back into

service faster.

Operations -Fire

Page 6

Day of the Week # Incidents

Sunday 445

Monday 471

Tuesday 454

Wednesday 456

Thursday 494

Friday 490

Saturday 448

Our two fire stations operate on a 24/7 basis and are staffed by the men of the North

Ridgeville Fire Department. Maintenance of these facilities and grounds are

performed on a daily basis by the on-duty personnel. Ensuring that the stations are

safe, clean and operating efficiently for the members who live there on a 24-hour

basis; and that they reflect an image that complements our community is important.

2015 Incidents per Day of the Week

Operations –Fire -Continued

Page 7


Sunday 445

Monday 471

Tuesday 454

Wednesday 456

Thursday 494

Friday 490

Saturday 448

7 YEAR RUN COMPARISON

YEAR FIRE EMS TOTAL

2009 535 2,111 2.646

2010 594 2,380 2,974

2011 577 2,369 2,946

2012 595 2,488 3,083

2013 545 2,371 2,916

2014 603 2,436 3,039

2015 642 2,618 3,260


Page 8


Sunday 445

Monday 471

Tuesday 454

Wednesday 456

Thursday 494

Friday 490

Saturday 448

MONTH INCIDENTS

January 300

February 208

March 255

April 228

May 283

June 253

July 327

August 297

September 264

October 275

November 297

December 271

2015 OVERLAPPING INCIDENTS

# Overlapping % Overlapping Total Calls

781 24.04 3,260


Page 9


Sunday 445

Monday 471

Tuesday 454

Wednesday 456

Thursday 494

Friday 490

Saturday 448


Page 10

2015 RESPONSES PER UNIT

Ap

paratu

s

Janu

ary

Feb

ruary

March

Ap

ril

May

Jun

e

July

Au

gust

Septe

mb

er

Octo

ber

No

vemb

er

Dece

mb

er

Total

M25 68 56 56 57 60 77 75 63 62 68 71 62 783

M26 2 0 0 0 0 0 65 141 132 92 111 131 674

M27 138 94 137 115 130 120 124 54 46 65 67 64 1154

M28 55 43 46 46 62 49 37 0 0 9 13 1 361

T23 17 12 25 18 12 11 17 6 13 6 15 10 161

E21 43 24 24 19 39 1 1 11 9 18 22 0 211

E22 0 0 0 0 0 12 18 14 17 19 16 13 109

E24 19 10 13 10 18 12 29 26 18 16 15 21 207

Total 342 239 301 265 321 282 366 315 297 293 330 302 3660

*

M=Medic Unit T=Aerial Ladder E=Fire Engine

*This number does not reflect the total number of 2015 calls due to the fact

that multiple units may respond to a single call


Page 11

EQUIPMENT TESTING

2015 HOSE TESTING RESULTS

Hose Diameter

# of

Sections

Tested

Total

Feet

Tested

# of

Sections

that

passed

# of

Sections

that

Failed

1 ¾” 38 1,928 38 0

2 ½” 54 2,700 53 1

5” (50’ sections) 1 50 1 0

5” (100’

sections)

18 1,725 18 0

Overall Totals 111 6,403 110 1

2015 Pump Testing

Apparatus Status

Engine 21 Passed

Engine 22 Passed

Engine 24 Passed

Truck 23 Passed


Page 12

SCBA Maintenance & Respiratory FIT Testing

In 2015, there were 21 Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and

45 masks maintained by our trained in-house SCBA repair personnel. In

July, a third party vendor completed flow testing of all SCBA’s. Any

deficiencies were identified and repaired.

There were a total of 36 members Respiratory Fit Tested in-house using

Lorain County’s fit tester and all members of the department completed

the OSHA required questionnaire and pulmonary function testing.

The department replaced 14 out of 20 SCBA bottles that are out of hydro

and need to be replaced. The plan is to try and replace the remaining 6

bottles in 2016.


Rick Knowlton, Paramedic

Lieutenant

Page 13































Jon Graf, Paramedic

Assistant Chief


Joe Gavlak, Paramedic

Captain

The North Ridgeville Fire Department continued to improve the

delivery of emergency medical services in 2015 through the

implementation of state-of-the-art equipment and procedures.

Membership in the Weshare Rescue Organization and the input from

our internal EMS Committee allow us to continually re-evaluate and

analyze our services in order to find ways of improving the delivery

of EMS through new equipment, procedures and training.

Of the 2,618 EMS calls we received in 2015, we transported a person

84% (2,196) of the time to a more definitive care facility for

treatment of their illness or injury. Overall run volume increased by

7.5% from 2014 to 2015.

Previous Year Comparison

Overall Response Time by EMS Units

Year Minutes Number of Calls

2014 5:81 2,436

2015 5:81 2,618

Our overall average response time (dispatch to arrival) remained the

same as the previous year. Although increased run volume often

results in EMS units responding to districts outside their own

because the other units are already on an EMS call, our average

response time remained the same.

Operations -EMS

Page 14

The following enhancements were made by our department in 2015:

The fire department took delivery of a 2016 McCoy Miller ambulance built

on a Ford F550 chassis. The new ambulance replaced a 2002 McCoy Miller

ambulance.

The North Ridgeville VFW Post 9871 donated a McGrath Mac video

laryngoscope for use on our frontline medic unit. The department plans to

obtain two more of the laryngoscopes in 2016.

The fire department received a Lifepak 15 which was placed in the second

medic unit at fire station #1. All three of our frontline medic units now have

a Lifepak 15.

The fire department received a Lucas CPR Device which was also placed in

the second medic unit at fire station #1. All three of our frontline medic units

now have a Lucas CPR Device.

The department began to participate in the American Heart Association

(AHA) Mission Lifeline Program. Our data was sent to the AHA and we

received a Silver Achievement Award. This award is given for exceptional

performance in the recognition and treatment of STEMI (heart attack)

patients.

Chief John C. Reese agreed to organize and host the first ever Weshare

Education Symposium which will be held at the LCCC Ridge Campus in

April of 2016. The Symposium will provide six hours of continuing

education to an estimated 150 paramedics in our area.

The fire department has developed an internal EMS Committee to take

advantage of the talents and ideas of our shift members to continue to

improve our EMS service. Each shift is represented by a member that reports

ideas and problems and helps to come up with solutions. The committee is

led by Captain Joe Gavlak and its members are Firefighter/Paramedic Tony

Kotar, Firefighter/Paramedic Justin Silvi and Firefighter/Paramedic Colt

Eberling.

Operations –EMS-Continued

Page 15

The Weshare Rescue Organization is currently working on a protocol

update. The Protocol Committee consists of members from Avon Lake, Bay

Village, North Ridgeville, Olmsted Township, Rocky River, Westlake and

the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. The new protocol s are expected to be

ready sometime in 2016.

The fire department EMS Committee is conducting an internal audit of our

EMS service led by Lieutenant Steven Cook. The purpose of the audit is to

prepare the department to apply for accreditation with a nationally

recognized EMS accreditation agency. Our goal is to make our EMS service

the best in Northeast Ohio.

We are looking forward to continuing to improve our service in 2016. Completing the

internal audit for accreditation and the start of the construction of the new headquarters

fire station is going to allow us to improve policies, procedures, equipment storage,

training, community health programs and improve response times.

Operations –EMS- Continued

Page 16

Calls per Medic Unit in 2015

Medic 26 (Station #1 Primary w/3 personnel) 1,295

Medic 27 (Station #1 Backup w/2 personnel) 623

Medic 25 (Station #2 Primary w/3 personnel) 689

Operations –EMS- Continued

Page 17































Jon Graf, Paramedic

Assistant Chief


The North Ridgeville Fire Department bills non-residents for ambulance transports. The

patient is sent a bill and asked to pay or make arrangements to pay the full amount. Since

the inception of the paramedic program in North Ridgeville, none of our patients were sent

to collections for non-payment which resulted in a large sum of uncollected debt. In 2015,

the fire department contracted with the Ohio Attorney General’s office to provide

collection service for any current or past uncollected debt from non-resident patients. You

will find that this arrangement has resulted in an increase in collections for 2015.

The fire department also “soft” bills our patients that are residents. If the resident has

medical insurance, the fire department will send the insurance company a bill and accept

any payment that is forwarded on behalf of the resident. Residents of North Ridgeville

NEVER receive a bill at their home and are NEVER turned over to collections for an

ambulance transport. In 2015, the fire department experienced a 7.5% increase in EMS

calls over 2014. This also resulted in a slight increase in collections. The EMS collections

data is as follows:

YEAR # EMS

CALLS

MONTHLY

COLLECTION

AVG.

TOTAL YEAR

COLLECTIONS

2013 2,371 $56,029.10 $672,349.14

2014 2,436 $56,399.85 $676,798.17

2015 2,618 $65,007.34 $780,088.05

EMS Billing

Page 18

The Division of Fire Prevention for the North Ridgeville Fire

Department is headed by Assistant Chief Scott Bement. The

primary goal of the division of fire prevention is to prevent life

and property loss. This is accomplished through inspections,

public education, and pre-planning for emergencies.

Assistant Chief Bement performs the major portion of

inspecting all of our city's businesses. He is also responsible for

assigning company inspections, plan reviews, and post-fire

investigations. He is a state certified Fire Safety Inspector and a

member of the Lorain County Association of Fire Investigators,

National Association of Fire Investigators, International

Association of Arson Investigators, North East Ohio Fire

Prevention Association, International Association of Fire

Chiefs, Ohio Fire Chiefs Association and the Lorain County Fire

Chiefs. Assistant Chief Bement has 37 years of service and experience

Scott Bement, EMT

Assistant Chief

Fire Prevention Report

Page 19

The North Ridgeville Fire Department continues our efforts to prevent business

and home fires in our community. This is evident by the fact that our city has

only experienced one commercial fire in two years.

Fire Prevention is responsible for ensuring that all commercial buildings are

constructed or renovated in compliance with the Ohio Fire Code, as well as

various standards such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Fire

Prevention is dedicated to the fair and accurate administration of the Ohio Fire

Code.

The goal of Fire Prevention is the prevention of fires and injuries. When fires do

occur, Fire Prevention is responsible for finding the cause and origin of these

fires, and implementing educational programs to prevent them from occurring in

the future.

PUBLIC EDUATION

Public education programs are designed with the purpose of preventing fires,

injuries and even deaths resulting from fires. We are dedicated to continuously

improving programs based on the current trends and technology available to our

department.

Fire Prevention is responsible for overseeing the administration of the public

education programs geared towards the safety of our community. Our goal is to

customize our programs to meet the needs of the age groups that are our audience.

Lieutenant Robert “Bob” Knowlton and Firefighter David “Brad” Buescher are

our two fire education educators. Both assist in presenting fire safety talks in the

community throughout the year. Our efforts include:

Fire extinguisher training

Annual Health and Safety Fair

Safety talks at area nursing homes

Home fire safety inspections for adoption and foster care homes

Fire station tours and safety presentations

Boy Scout and Girl Scout badge requirements

Safety talks in the schools

Safety talks at the North Ridgeville Senior Center

Safety Talks at Safetyville

Family and Friends CPR

Fire Prevention Report-Continued

Page 20

FIRE HYDRANTS

The North Ridgeville Fire Department conducts an annual fire hydrant pressure

testing program to ensure proper working pressures throughout the community

and to identify any potential problem areas.

The North Ridgeville Utilities Department flushes all 2,398 hydrants each year

to ensure that they are in good working order. Utilities also performs repairs and

routine services including: cleaning and greasing internal components, resetting

hydrants struck by vehicles, raising below grade hydrants up to a workable

height, routine painting, and replacing bad valve seats and stems.

SMOKE DETECTORS

In 2015, the North Ridgeville Fire Department combined efforts with the Lorain

County Branch of the American Red Cross to offer free smoke detectors to some

of our residents. The program allows the fire department to target neighborhoods

throughout the city and then go door-to-door and offer free smoke detector

installation. The smoke detectors are provided by a grant that was received by

the Red Cross. Fire department and Red Cross volunteers work together to install

the smoke detectors in 2015, there were 135 smoke detectors installed into 83

homes in the neighborhoods of Main, Broad, Pleasant, Olive, Wallace, Cornell

and the Pine Ridge Mobile Home Community. The fire department is hoping to

team up again with the Red Cross in 2016 to install more smoke detectors. This

is a life-saving program.


Page 21

CODE ENFORCEMENT

The North Ridgeville Fire Department is responsible for enforcement of the Ohio

Fire Code, as well as other standards set forth in the various codes and standards.

These efforts are delivered through several of our company officers being

certified as Fire Safety Inspectors by the State of Ohio. The fire department’s

goal is to have all 12 of the fire department’s officers certified by the end of 2017.

Our inspectors annually inspect the businesses within the borders of North

Ridgeville for compliance with the Ohio Fire Code. Our goal within the process

of inspecting a business is to educate that business on the fire code and how the

fire codes will make them safer by preventing fires before they occur. It’s our

business to ensure that they stay in business and don’t get shut down by a

preventable fire. Included with annual inspections, our crews develop and update

pre-fire plans of local businesses. These pre-fire plans are drawings and

information gathered about each individual business for use in case of a fire. The

pre-fire plans assist us in training, locating utility shutoffs, contacting property

owners and preserving property in the case where there is a fire in a business.

The fire department loads the pre-fire plans onto a server that allows our fire

crews to access the information on an IPad which is located in each piece of the

City’s fire apparatus.

2015 FIRE PREVENTION ACTIVITIES

Code Enforcement Inspections of Businesses 205

Alarm/Hood/Sprinkler Tests 82

Plans Review for New and Expanding Businesses 18

Adoption and Foster Care Home Inspections 12

Meetings (Fire Prevention, Chief’s, Fire

Investigation, Staff)

49

Fire Investigations 9


Page 22

FIRE & EXPLOSION INVESTIGATIONS

The State of Ohio requires all fires to be investigated to determine cause and

origin. It is also the fire department’s responsibility to determine whether the fire

was intentionally set. Intentionally set or arson fires are investigated by the North

Ridgeville Fire Department, with the professional assistance of the North

Ridgeville Police Department, the Lorain County Fire Investigation Team and

the Ohio Fire Marshal. By determining the cause of a fire, the fire department

can develop programs to educate the community to reduce future fire incidents.


Page 23

The goal of the Division of Fire Training is to prepare our members

to handle emergencies safely and efficiently. This goal is

accomplished through lectures, hands-on training, and following the

National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) Standards to the best of our

ability. The State of Ohio requires that all of our members receive 18

hours of continuing education in firefighting to maintain their fire

fighter certification. The State also requires all of our paramedics to

receive 31 hours of continuing education annually.

The department has seven certified public safety instructors that

provide training for our members on a daily basis. The department

also occasionally hosts classes of instruction that are provided by

outside experts. Our average member currently receives over 100

hours of training per year.

The Division of Fire Training is headed by Assistant Chief Jon Graf.

Assistant Chief Graf is a state certified Paramedic, Fire Service

Instructor and Fire Safety Inspector. He has completed the Ohio Fire

Chiefs Maxwell Leadership Program and is currently finishing his

associates degree and Ohio Fire Executives Program(OFE). These

programs enhance new leadership and management skills that are applicable to the fire service.

Jon Graf, Paramedic

Assistant Chief

Fire/EMS Training Report

Page 24

The Training Division is tasked with ensuring all department members receive

sufficient training to meet state and federal requirements as well as training that is

tailored to the specific hazards and staffing levels of the City of North Ridgeville.

The Division of Fire continues to provide services beyond fire suppression. These

services include emergency medical service, water and ice related rescue, structural

collapse rescue, hazardous materials response, fire safety inspection, and fire incident

investigations.

Each of these disciplines requires a commitment of time and resources in order to

maintain competency among our members. In 2015 the Fire Division members spent

more than 3500 hours training. There were over 1300 attendees to the various

training sessions. Many of these training sessions were delivered by guest

instructors. The training division designed and delivered over 60 courses that were

customized to the unique hazards and staffing levels found in North Ridgeville.

2015 saw the development and implementation of a new employee orientation

program. New employees within the Fire Division are now put through and

abbreviated fire academy/orientation process that ensures they are familiar with

North Ridgeville Fire Division equipment and procedures prior to responding to

emergencies. Employee evaluations have indicated that this new program has been

successful in streamlining the process of readying new employees to become fully

active members of the department.

A portion of a city owned building was converted into a training area where training

props were constructed. These props are used regularly to ensure high levels of

competence when using self-contained breathing apparatus. Training conducted in

the new training area has proven to be physically and mentally challenging. Prior to

the establishment of this area and prop construction, training of this magnitude was

not possible within the fire division.

Fire/EMS Training Report-Continued

Page 25

Due to the Center Ridge Road expansion and new middle school construction many

structures were scheduled for demolition. The training division received permission

to train in several of these structures. Full scale simulations were conducted within

these structures. Smoke generator machines and training manikins were used to

achieve a realistic sense of urgency and challenges frequently faced by firefighters

when managing fire incidents. Due to the future demolition of these structures,

destructive training was possible. Firefighters were able to make use of forcible entry

tools that normally would not be used during training sessions.

A two year research project was finished late in 2015. The research focused on

finding the best methods and strategies for training fire officers to serve as incident

commanders for medium and large scale type incidents. As a result of the research

findings, several fire officers were enrolled in the Blue Card Fire Incident Command

training program. This program will potentially improve the command and control

capabilities of all members of the fire division. The remaining members of the

department will be enrolled in Blue Card throughout 2016.

Training Category # FF

attending Training hours

GRAND TOTALS 1345 3542

County Rescue

Teams 41 338

EMS 558 1092

Fire Safety Inspector 16 28.5

Fire Investigation 9 46

Fire Suppression 721 2037.75

Fire/EMS Training Report-Continued

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Jon Graf, Paramedic

Assistant Chief


The North Ridgeville Fire Department would like to thank the residents for passing an

$8.2 million bond issue to build a new 22,594 square foot headquarters fire station. The

new station is going to dramatically improve our ability to provide fire and EMS services

to our customers. Our goal is to break ground on the new station in the fall of 2016 with a

possible completion date in late 2017.

The current fire station #1 was in bad repair and in need of several important items in order

to be able to continue to operate until the new headquarters fire station is built. The

windows in the building were 57 years old and literally falling apart. In May the windows

and man doors were replaced to keep the rain and cold out of the building. The roof was

letting water in throughout the building, but a roof replacement was too expensive for a

building that was going to be replaced in the next two years. Instead, Francisicus Roofing

was hired to put a membrane over the current roof at a greatly reduced cost in order to buy

a couple more years. We also had an air conditioner compressor installed in order to

eliminate the number of window air conditioners throughout the building. It was

recommended that we do not use window air conditioner units with the new windows.

Members from the North Ridgeville Buildings Maintenance crew installed the compressor

unit for the cost of parts. In total, $50,717.00 was spent to keep the weather out of the fire

station and control the climate inside until the new headquarters fire station is complete.

Fire Station #2 is in good repair and the only improvements/repairs made this year were

the replacement of the carpeting in the day room and the replacement of the hot water

heater for the building. Future needs at fire station #2 are masonry repair & sealing,

parking lot top coating, construction of a new outside storage building, gear racks, front

sign replacement, window replacement and the replacement of the ceiling tiles throughout

the building.

Facilities Maintenance

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Jon Graf, Paramedic

Assistant Chief


TWO FIRE STATIONS 24/7

Fire Headquarters & Station #1

7090 Avon Belden Road

Built in 1957 as the City’s first fire station

3.565 square feet

Medic 26, Engine 24, Medic 27, Engine 22, Car 30 (utility pickup)

Fire Station #2

34523 Lorain Road

Built in 1975 to serve the south side of North Ridgeville

2,700 square feet

Medic 25, Truck 23, Engine 21 (reserve), Medic 28 (reserve)

Facilities Maintenance-Continued

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Jon Graf, Paramedic

Assistant Chief


Replacement Fire Headquarters & Station #1

To be constructed in the area of Center Ridge and Jaycox Roads

Construction planned to begin the fall of 2016

22,594 square feet fire headquarters, training room, administrative offices

Facilities Maintenance-Continued

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Jon Graf, Paramedic

Assistant Chief


The WESHARE Rescue Organization is a Fire/EMS Medical Command/Continuing

Education Consortium Consisting of 5 Area Fire /EMS Departments in the Greater

Cleveland are. These departments consist of:


Westlake Fire Department

Bay Village Fire Department

Rocky River Fire Department

Olmsted Township Fire Department

The medical Command responsibilities are shared by The Cleveland Clinic and

University Hospitals. Each Hospital system supplies and EMS coordinator and

Medical director whose main responsibility is to provide continuing education class

to all personnel within the WESHARE system.

The Weshare Rescue Committee and Medical Advisory Committees, as well as sub-

committees, meet quarterly to discuss future plans, educational opportunities and

any other issues that may arise.

This organizations goal is to provide the best pre-hospital care to the communities

we serve through constant upgrades to medical equipment and protocols in order to

stay on the cutting edge of EMS prehospital care.

For more information go to : www.wesharerescue.org

WESHARE Rescue Organization

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Jon Graf, Paramedic

Assistant Chief


The mission of the Westshore Central Dispatch Center is to provide professional and

efficient emergency communications to the citizens, first responders, and visitors of

the Westshore Region. This will be accomplished through utilizing technology,

ongoing training, dedicated employees, and continued growth to fulfill the needs of

our community and all who pass through it. Located within St John Medical Center, Westshore Central Dispatch (Westcom)

provides a regionalized fire and ems dispatch center for the communities of North

Ridgeville, Westlake, Bay Village, Fairview Park, and Rocky River. This

collaborative approach has increased the level of service to its citizens while reducing

response times. Opened in March of 2006, Westcom has become a fixture in the

Westshore region. The center has been entrusted to dispatch the Westshore Regional

Hazmat / Technical rescue team and the Northeast Ohio Region Two USAR team.

Westcom currently has nine full time and four part time dispatchers. There is one

supervisor, Ron Barlow, who oversees the day to day operation of the center. All

Westcom Dispatchers receive training in Emergency Medical Dispatch, Public Safety

Telecommunication, Fire Service Communication, and American Heart CPR / AED.

2015 included the implementation of a new 911 phone system and an upgrade to the

emergency radio systems.

In 2015, the North Ridgeville Fire Department responded to 3,260 fire and ems

calls. This reflected a 7.5% increase in call volume from 2014. Westcom fire

departments responded to a total of 15,142 Fire and EMS runs in 2015.

WESTCOM Dispatch Center

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Jon Graf, Paramedic

Assistant Chief


Each year, the fire department attempts to bring in funding through various grant

sources and of course we always are willing to accept donations. Although we do

not have a professional grant writer on staff, our staff is getting better at applying

for the various grants and we are also always looking for new grants that can assist

us with our mission. This past year, Firefighter/Paramedic Colt Eberling obtained

an Ohio Public Safety Grant and Lieutenant Steven Cook obtained a FEMA Grant.

In 2016, the fire department plans to apply for the FEMA Assistance to Firefighters

Grant, the Ohio Department of Public Safety EMS Grant, and a new grant from the

State of Ohio which is the Local Government Safety Capital Grant Program. We

will also attempt to secure donations from local organizations. Those donations are

generally used to purchase EMS equipment. Our grants and donations history for

the past 13 years is as follows:

YEAR ORGANIZATION AMOUNT PURPOSE

2002 FEMA $51,327.00 Firefighter Wellness Program

and Fitness Equipment

2004 FEMA $135,439.00 Generator, Radios, SCBAs

and Firefighter Turnout Gear

2009 FEMA $126,297.00

Fire Station #2 Traffic

Signal, Turnout Gear Washer

and Dryer

2010 FEMA $270,000.00 Replacement Fire Engine

2014 FEMA $15,660.00

Automatic External

Defibrillators (AEDs) for

Fire Apparatus

Corn Festival

Committee $2,000.00 Water Rescue Training

2015 Ohio Public Safety

EMS $3,500.00 EMS Equipment

North Ridgeville

VFW $1,500.00

McGrath Mac Video

Laryngoscope

TOTAL $605,723.00

Grants and Donations

Barry Cook, Paramedic

Lieutenant

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Jon Graf, Paramedic

Assistant Chief


In October, the fire department held our annual health & safety fair in observance of

National Fire Safety Awareness Month. The safety fair is held at fire station #1 and

is designed to attract residents of our community for a fun-filled family friendly day

of tips about healthy living and home fire safety. There are local businesses, hospitals,

charitable organizations and city departments on hand to offer information and

giveaway items. There are also bounce houses and a fire prevention magic show for

the kids. This year’s event had a great crowd and despite the wet weather was a

success. Next year’s safety fair is scheduled to be held on Saturday, October 1st 10am

to 2pm. If you know of any health or fire safety related businesses that would like to

attend, please contact Chief John Reese at (440) 353-0803.

Annual Health and Safety Fair

Page 33































Jon Graf, Paramedic

Assistant Chief


The North Ridgeville Fire Department maintains a museum next to Old

Town Hall that contains the history of our department and the fire service.

The fire museum houses the city’s original 1931 Buffalo fire engine which

was the first piece of fire apparatus that the City of North Ridgeville

purchased.

In 2015, the fire museum underwent some remodeling to improve our ability

to host tours and educate the public. Everything in the museum was removed

and the floor was sanded and recoated with an epoxy coating. Then an ADA

compliant restroom was added to the museum. The museum was then

painted and everything was replaced. Lastly, a new flower bed and a fire

hydrant fountain were added in front of the museum to replace a flower bed

that needed to be moved for the Center Ridge Road widening. The work was

performed by both on and off duty fire personnel, our local Boy Scouts, Girl

Scouts and volunteers from the community.

The Buffalo fire truck is in running condition and can be used for funerals

and parades. Our staff is constantly working on the truck to improve its

condition and to keep it running. Each year the truck is flat bedded by the

Avon Lake Fire Department to their annual touch a truck event. The truck is

also used throughout the year by various picture takers that like the truck for

its photogenic value.

The fire museum is open on some holidays and always by request. Anyone

that would like a tour or is interested in donating to the museum fund can

contact us at (440) 327-5311.

Fire Museum

Paul Sadowski, Paramedic

Captain

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Jon Graf, Paramedic

Assistant Chief


The fire department takes pride in its closeness with the community. Each year our

members donate their time to try and make North Ridgeville a great place to live. This

year, the fire department administration and the members of the North Ridgeville

Firefighters International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 2129 participated in

several community events.

The fire department members have a bond with the Senior Citizens in our community.

Each year, our members and their families volunteer at every spaghetti dinner held at the

Senior Center. They do everything from serving meals to washing dishes. We also deliver

meals on wheels on Thanksgiving and lend a hand in whatever the Senior Center needs

throughout the year.

Firefighter/Paramedic Mike Williams leads the fire department in collecting cans for the

Aluminum Cans for Burned Children (ACBC) Fund. There is a can collection trailer

behind fire station #1 that funds donations to area burn units and summer camps for burned

children. We also team up each year with the North Ridgeville Recreation Department and

the North Ridgeville Fishing Club to host our annual Kids Fishing Derby held at South

Central Park. The proceeds from the Kids Fishing Derby also help to fund donations to

ACBC.

Each year, Local 2129 in cooperation with Target donate to a family in need in our

community. This year, Santa took some time out of his busy schedule to deliver presents

to this year’s family. The members of Local 2129 participate in several worthwhile

projects throughout the year including sponsoring local sports teams.

Community Participation

Page 35

Firefighter/EMT Michael Pitts

In July of 2015, Firefighter/EMT Michael (Mike) Pitts retired and ended his 25 year

career with the North Ridgeville Fire Department. Mike was hired in 1990 and

attended the fire academy and EMT school before starting. He is a graduate of the

Ohio State University and an avid Buckeyes, Browns, and Indians fan. Mike has two

children, Jeff and Samantha who were both recently married and live out of state.

Mike plans to spend his retirement hunting, fishing, attending sporting events,

traveling and visiting with his kids.

Retirements/New Hires

Page 36

WELCOME ABOARD!

Firefighter/Paramedic

Constantine “Dean” Souris

In June of 2015, Firefighter/Paramedic Constantine “Dean” Souris was hired by the

North Ridgeville Fire Department. Dean was working as a full-time

Firefighter/Paramedic in Olmsted Township for 10 years prior to being hired by the

North Ridgeville Fire Department. Dean has a list of fire/rescue certifications and

experiences that will make him a useful addition to our department. He resides with

his wife Nitsa and their daughter Nicolette in Olmsted Township.

Retirements/New Hires-Continued

Page 37

Fire/EMS Year End Report - North Ridgeville, Ohio · 2016. 1. 27. · city’s first full-time fire...

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