Van Wert FD handles an apartment complex fire in which two dogs died. See story on page 12
Action back in the day in Cincinnati, Lima and Perry Twp.
See story on page 14
Warren firefighters stop one fire from extending on a three-fire day.
See story on page 18
American Township Fire responded to a fully involved house fire later deemed an arson.
See story on page 20
For the second time in three days So. Zanesville responds to a garage fire.
See story on page 21
West Lafayette put their new Pierce Enforcer into service on October 29, 2022.
See story on page 27
PLUS:
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Letters to the Editor, byline articles, and columns represent the opinions of the writers and photographers and are not necessarily the views of the Fire News. We reserve the right to edit all of the above. We are not responsible for errors in advertisements beyond the cost of advertising space. Copy submitted is subject to editing for space requirements. The placing of an advertisement in this publication does not constitute endorsement. Contents are copyrighted. Editorial and advertising copy cannot be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Fire News is published monthly by Fire News Inc, with corporate offices at 146 South Country Road, Bellport, NY11713.
As we enter the holiday season, I ask everyone to pause for a moment and say a prayer for our brothers and sisters who have died in the line of duty. Take the time to remember the members in your department, who have served and have passed, leaving a void in their department. Experience tells me that the fire service will never forget those members who have passed in 2022.
To our officers, who prepare to lead their companies and departments in 2023; are you ready to make a difference? Ask yourself what you can do differently in the upcoming new year to instill an awareness of safe enthusiasm. I am proud to see my company members coming down to the firehouse on their own to check the rigs, test equipment, and to make sure their gear is in order, so they can quickly and safely respond to calls.
In November, I had the honor to attend the Lt. Joseph P. DiBernardo Memorial Foundation fundraiser as a Public Information Officer. No matter how large or small and incident is, you should be following the guidelines of the Incident Command System to make sure that every aspect of your event is safely covered by a qualified and responsible person. My job was to prepare to greet the press that may or may not show up to our event. I prepared a package that gave the history of Black Sunday, and I explained the purpose of the organization and how it has helped fire-
fighters stay safe over the past 10 years. My job was to greet the press and set up a liaison from our group who could take the press around the handson training evolutions and answer any questions that they may have had for us.
As the editor of Fire News, I often receive telephone calls, text messages and emails requesting coverage for a special event at a local fire department. I explain to the person asking for help that I will do whatever I can to help them, but I cannot guarantee that one of our photographers will be able to make the event. I let the departments know that the Fire News photographers are freelance reporters, who typically cover emergency situations in their area. During my conversation, I will often ask, “Do you have a Public Information Officer?” It is my hope that they do.
APIO is the perfect job for a senior member who has good communication skills and knowledge of their department’s events. Today, with the advent of cellphones, word processing skills and email operations, your PIO can get photos and a writeup to all the local press, Fire News included. Your local fire academy often has a class to teach your PIO what to say and what not to say. Yes, sometimes the PIO must explain to citizens why certain situations appear to have gone wrong at a call when in fact nothing went wrong at all. A good PIO is a buffer between the public and the
chief. Achief really cannot say he didn’t know something went wrong. APIO can say, “Let me get back to you on this.”
PIOs should start out slowly. Prepare a few photos and copy, about the event and send the information to Fire News. Now that Fire News has grown to 12 editions, turn to page three to find the email address for your paper.
I look forward to your stories. Have a safe holiday season!
- Dennis
Wintersville Engine 8111 and Brush 8141 with the foam trailerresponded to a mutual-aid commercial structure fire with Stations 47, 54, 55, 67, 74 and 75 on October4, 2022.
- Photos courtesy of Wintersville FR
East Holmes Fire and Rescue responded to a fire today at Black Bounce LLC on Township Road west of Winesburg in Millersburg. First-alarm fire departments responding included Winesburg, East Holmes and Mt. Eaton. Asecond-alarm dispatch was requested bringing crews from Dundee and Holmes Fire District 1. The initial call reported a tire shredding machine was on fire and piles of shredded rubberwere burning next to the main building with several explosions. The first alarm consisted of 10 trucks and 35 firefighters from Winesburg, East Holmes and Mt. Eaton. The second alarm consisted of two trucks and seven firefighters from Dundee and a truck and firefighterfrom Holmes Fire District 1. - Photos courtesy of East Holmes Fire & EMS (Continued on next page)
Firefighters responded to a reported house fire 800 block Atlantic Avenue, in Lima.
- Fire News photo by Richard Parrish
At about 0500 on October21, 2022, the Conesville Fire Department was paged out fora well involved house fire in the 400 block of Franklin Avenue in Conesville. At the same time Coshocton and the Three Rivers were also called to respond to the scene. The fire at the small home had already burned through the roof. Asecond alarm was requested asking fortankers from Jackson Township, West Lafayette, and Dresden. With the fire knocked down the lattertwo were canceled en route. Also assisting on scene was the Coshocton County EMS, Coshocton County Sheriff's Office, and Tom Dile from the Salvation Army DisasterServices.
- Fire News photos by Jim McKeever
Welcome home to five Cincinnati firefighters who responded to Florida with Ohio Task Force 1. The team conducted missions in communities hardest hit by Hurricane Ian. Ourhearts go out to Florida as they begin rebuilding. Pictured: Lieutenant Collin Grove, FirefighterTy Zimmerman, Lieutenant Mike Lotz, FirefighterJosh Hanauerand FAO Bill Ritter.
- Photo courtesy of Cincinnati FD
- Photo courtesy of Thorn Twp FD
Thorn Township Fire and EMS, along with mutual aid, were dispatched to a residential structure fire. Crews arrived and initiated fire suppression along with search. It was determined that all the occupants were not at home at the time of the fire. Thanks to a quick bystanderthey were able to pull the family dog off the porch without harm.
On October8, 2022, at 1750, the Van Wert Fire Department was dispatched to a four-unit apartment complex fora structure fire. Units arrived to a working fire in the complex. Atransitional attack was used and the fire was quickly brought undercontrol. The fire was contained to the unit of origin. One occupant was treated forsmoke inhalation at the scene but was not transported. Two dogs perished due to smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire was underinvestigation.
On September7, 2022, a call came into the Coshocton Fire Department reporting black smoke coming from the Red Sea area (the north end of Mill Street). Coshocton sent a truck to investigate and found a very large pile of old railroad ties on fire nearthe railway. Mutual aid was requested due to the size of the pile and rapidly growing fire. Mutual aid came from Conesville, Three Rivers, Walhonding Valley and the Jackson Township. Companies brought theirbrush trucks and narrow engines due to the path to the fire being very narrow. Watersupply became an issue until some trucks with largerwatercapacity got on scene. Also helping on scene was the Coshocton County EMS and the Salvation Army DisasterServices. - Fire News photo by Jim McKeever
Licking Township Engine 601 and T601, along with ourmutual aid partners responded to a structure fire on Panhandle Road. Units arrived and found a large barn that was completely engulfed in flames and had already collapsed. There were no injuries. We thank ourmutual aid departments fortheirprompt response and seamless teamwork. These included units from Thorn Township Fire & EMS, West Licking Joint Fire District, City of Heath Fire Department, Newark (OH) Division of Fire, Hopewell Township Fire Department, Madison Township Fire Department Station-100, HanoverVolunteerFire Department and Newark Township Fire Department.
Photo courtesy of Licking Township FC
by Stacy Schwartz - Vice President, Public Safety and FirstNet Program at AT&T
Emergencies are unpredictable. During these critical moments, public safety needs reliable, interoperable communications. Tha t’s why our approach to 5G for public safety is unlike anything else.
It’s not the typical approach to 5G you’ve seen in television commercials. That’s because 5G on FirstNet® — America's public safety network — is a one-of-a-kind experience. It gives our nation’s first responders the early benefits of this next-generation connectivity while continuing to use LTE, the current gold standard for reliable mobile broadband, for their mission-critical needs. First responders maintain voice communications with always-on priority and preem ption on LTE, while the FirstNet network determines the best rou te for data traffic, whether that’s 5G or LTE spectrum.
In April 2021, we upgraded the dedicated FirstNet network core to enable reliable 5G connectivity and opened access to AT&Thigh-band 5G+ spectrum. Later that year, we expanded access to the AT&Tlow-band 5G. And now, we’re giving this vital community access to the “sweet spot” of 5G - AT&T mid-band 5G+. All public safety needs to access 5G on FirstNet is a FirstNet Ready® 5G device.
What is 5Gforfirst responders like today?
We’re delivering 5G on FirstNet using AT&Tspectrum bands. Public safety in about 100 markets across the country have access to at least 1 of the 3 flavors of 5G. And we’re continuing to roll out additional 5G connectivity for FirstNet in more communities nationw ide:
• High-Band 5G+: Public safety agencies and organizations in parts of more than 45 cities and 45+ venues get super-fast speeds and unprecedented performances in these high traffic areas. This includes places like Los Angeles International Airport and Raym ond James Stadium in Tampa where crowds gather for the amazing concerts or major sporting events like the “Big Game” (but what is really a massive public safety event).
• Mid-Band 5G+: Now, this vital community has access to the “sweet spot” of 5G spectrum in more than 40 cities from coast to coast, including Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Minneapolis, Nashville, Phoenix, Seattle and St. Louis. Mid-band 5G+ spectrum fills the gap between our other bands and provides a great combination of ultrafast speeds and wide geographic coverage.
• Low-Band 5G: First responders in more than 30 cities across the United States — including Austin, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona and Knoxville, Tennessee — can connect using low-band 5G spectrum. It can travel farther, as well as penetrate through buildings and infrastructure better than high-band 5G+.
Many might ask, “why can’t you deploy 5G on FirstNet like it is
on commercial networks?” Simply put, when public safety is responding and lives are on the line, reliability is key. And many of the standards that protect public safety’s crucial communicatio ns from network congestion have not yet been implemented for 5G by the industry.
So, while we’re bringing this community specialized features an d capabilities they’ve never had before, we also have an eye to t he future. It isn’t going to happen overnight. But we’re working to develop the necessary standards and vendor support to create a 5G environment that aligns with public safety’s mission.
Our strategy for 5G on FirstNet takes advantage of the true evolution from 4G to 5G. FirstNet will continue to be a fast follower on 5G while driving innovation of and integration in tested and established mission-critical services on 4G for public safety operations today. That means first responders on FirstNet have the assurance that 4G public safety services are keeping them reliably connected for their lifesaving work, while the commercial side addresses initial start-up challenges of 5G. You know, places where viral videos and live-streaming your favorite football team’s games rule the day — not a place where a call can make all the difference in helping save someone.
On FirstNet, 5G connectivity will be ideal for IoTand video intelligence solutions. Imagine being able to deploy cameras during parades and other celebrations to help identify suspicious bags or packages. Or using 5G in an ambulance to transmit patient data back to the emergency room. That’s just a few ways 5G on FirstNet could help public safety achieve their life-saving missions in the fu ture.
The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) and AT&Tare committed to advancing FirstNet for all of public safet y. And doing it right. We recognize that uniting the unmatched benefits of FirstNet with the future promises of 5G can unlock a whole new world of public safety potential. As new technologies become available, we understand what’s most important is taking a first respondercentric view in their deployment. That applies to 5G, augmente d reality, edge computing and others. It’s our job as America’s public safety wireless communications provider.
We’re not building 5G on FirstNet for the bottom line. We’re building it for public safety’s unique mission needs. That means making sound decisions and being good stewards of public safety’s network — all to ensure we do 5G right for public safety.
Individual verified first responders not already on FirstNet ca n go to https://www.firstnet.com/signup/ or go to the more than 5,000 AT&Tretail stores across the country.
Area fire crews operate at the scene of a blaze at the building housing the formerRoxy Food and Spirits on North Elizabeth Street in Lima in June 2020.
- Fire News photo by Richard Parrish
Aresidential dwelling sustained extensive damage in an early-morning fire in December2020. Perry Township Chief Justin Roberts said, “Firefighters were dispatched shortly after0300 to Bowman Road and found fire and smoke coming from the front bedroom of a residence. The occupants of the home had escaped the blaze before firefighters arrived.”
Atwo-alarm fire completely destroyed a south Lima home recently. The Lima Fire Department responded to South Metcalf Street just after2300, aftera neighborheard an explosion and saw flames shooting from the home. Lima Fire called in Shawnee Township for mutual aid. The heat of the fire caused damage to homes on either side and the wall on the south side of the house was moved out about a foot and half. It was unknown if anybody was living there at the time. Fire investigators from Lima and Shawnee Township looked into the cause. Fire crews were on scene forfive hours. The home was completely destroyed and was razed.
- Fire News photos by Richard Parrish
Jackson Township Fire Department, based in Coshocton County, was called out to a shed fire on October17, 2022, nearthe intersection of State Route 541 and County Road 58. Firefighters found the shed to be fully engulfed and quickly pulled a handline to start putting the fire out. Asmall dog in a kennel at the farend of the structure was rescued and doing well. Coshocton was on hand as mutual aid and assisted in the extinguishment. Both fire departments were on scene for about a half-hour. Coshocton County EMS was also on scene. The shed was a total loss.
- Fire News photos by Jim McKeever
Avacant house on Parkman Road NWnearMason Street was engulfed in flames on October27, 2022. Warren firefighters worked to control the blaze while making sure the fire would not spread to houses on eitherside. The blaze was one of three that afternoon including anotherfire nearby at which flames were seen coming from a home as fire crews responded to the 800 block of Parkman Road NW; the house collapsed into itself. According to the report, firefighters helped evacuate residents from a home next door. The fire home had been vacant since catching fire in previous years.
-
On August 26, 2022, American Township Fire Department responded to a fully involved house fire on Seriff Road in Lima. Afterinvestigation the fire was deemed arson. Anyone with information please contact the Fire InvestigatorJoel Will at 419-3393921. -
courtesy of American Township FD
Forthe second time in three days the South Zanesville Fire Department was dispatched to a working garage fire. Crews arrived to a fully involved garage. SZFD Assistant Chief Tim Adams and Lieutenant Bill Ross confirmed the working fire. Engine 1415 and Tanker 1413 arrived about three minutes laterand quickly knocked down the fire and controlled it in about 20 minutes. Responding were Engine 1415, Tanker1413, Utility 1412 and Squad 1401 with nine members. Mutual aid came from Newton Township, National Trail and Zanesville.
- Submitted by Lt. Landon Duhamel
On October13, 2022, East Holmes Fire and EMS provided mutual-aid to Richland Township Fire and EMS at a structure fire in the Glenmont area with two trucks and eight firefighters.
- Photos courtesy of east Holmes Fire & EMS
Based
Cincinnati firefighters training recently.
- Photos courtesy of Cincinnati FD
Elyria Township firefighters took time at theirtraining facility to train with two of theirnewest members on removing victims and injured firefighters from first and second floor windows.
- Photos courtesy of Elyria Township FD
Glendale Fire Department members joined the Greenhills Fire Department recently forlive burn training at Scarlet Oaks CareerCampus. Crews practiced critical firefighting skills, including hose line advancement, fire attack, and search and rescue underlive fire conditions.
- Photos courtesy of Glendale & Greenhill FDs
FirefighterTrent Lucas applies water to fire afteradvancing a fire hose down a hallway to the fire room.
- Submitted by Trent Lucas
“Fire Experience B4U Need It” provided the Coshocton Fire Department laddertraining on October11, 2022. Three experienced firefighters, Greg Lash, Nelvin Young, and Jacob Gates, were the instructors. The training consisted of some classroom education but mostly hands-on training on Coshocton’s 75-foot stick and their100-foot tower. Live experience was performed on two houses that were scheduled fordemolition. The entire department was on hand and got multiple scenarios on each apparatus. - Fire News photos by Jim McKeever
Invest in yourself! The National Fire Academy (NFA) has the courses to help you meet your professional development goals and reduce all-hazard risks in your community. The courses you take through the NFAcan be considered for college credit. NFAresident courses are free of charge and for those selected to attend, the NFA will reimburse your travel, provide lodging, offer a world-class professional development opportunity, and you will be in a class with your peers from around the country. Your cost is your time and buying meals on campus.
Astray dog was found wandering nearGreen Township’s fire station. Aftera search of nearly 36 hours, the ownerwas located and reunited with Pablo. As the pictures indicate, Pablo was well cared forat the station during his wanderings.
- Photos courtesy of Green Township Fire & EMS
The application period is open for National Fire Academy classes scheduled on the Emmitsburg, Maryland, campus from April to September 2023.
Please apply between October 15 and December 15 (2022) for on-campus courses scheduled from April to September 2023.
The process is all on-line and easy to use https://www.usfa.fema.gov/nfa/admissions/how-to-apply.html
We look forward to seeing you at the NFA!
The West Lafayette Fire Department put theirnew Pierce Enforcer, into service by doing a Push-In Ceremony on October29, 2022.
Residents of all ages gathered at the fire station to watch the event. Fire Chief Damon Gould, accompanied by members of the fire department, gave a short talk on the tradition of pushing a new apparatus into the station. He also introduced the members of the department to the crowd. Those attending were invited to help push the truck into the station along with members. The new Engine 602, is nine-feet, fourinches tall and is 30-feet, six-inches long. It has a Cummins X-12 engine of 455 hp. It weighs 23.25 tons and can carry 750 gallons of waterthat can be pumped out at 1500 gpm. The engine also carries 2800 feet of hoseline. The engine was painted black over orange which matches the local school system colors.
- Fire News photos by Jim McKeever
Whitehouse Fire crews spent time visiting kids at Whitehouse Primary School recently. Crews reviewed safe meeting place and home escape plans. Thanks to Anthony Wayne Local Schools for allowing these firefighters to visit.
- Photos courtesy of Whitehouse FD
Members of Delaware County EMS (DCEMS)were able to walk on stage at the EMS World - Emergency Medical Services Conference in Orlando, to accept the awards forNational EMS System of the Yearand the National Award forSafety in EMS. These awards are awarded annually by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians. From DCEMS, six paramedics and ourmedical directorwere in attendance to accept the award on behalf of ourdepartment. The six paramedics combine for over130 years of experience in EMS. We were extremely grateful to be awarded such honors, and proud of ourentire team who works day in and day out to make it a reality.
- Photos courtesy of Delaware County EMS
Thorn Township Fire and EMS station swore in their newest full timers Captain Tristan Shoults, Firefighter/Paramedic Kyle Sands and Firefighter/Paramedic Kyon James.
- Photos courtesy of Thorn Township Fire & EMS
The Pugliese Training Centeris nearly complete and as soon as paving and parking lot striping is done, it will be ready fora ribbon cutting. Classes have already started in the Gary R. Fellows Training Academy and we look forward to hundreds of area emergency responders using the facility in the years to come.
- Photo courtesy of Wintersville FR
Firefighters from the Cincinnati Fire Department along with a few MLB mascots.
- Photo courtesy of Cincinnati FD
