By 1808Delaware
At its upcoming meeting on Tuesday night, Powell City Council will be reviewing an Second Quarter 2024 update from Fire Chief James Reardon. This is a quick overview of what has been submitted for that review; it provides an interesting insight into what types of calls and concerns are faced on any everyday basis.
Overview of Operations
Response Statistics
In the second quarter of 2024, the Liberty Township Fire Department responded to a variety of emergency calls, split between commercial and residential properties.
- Commercial Responses: 43%
- Residential Responses: 57%
The department’s average response time was recorded at 6:31 minutes. The average turnout time varied by type:
- Fire: 1:07 minutes
- EMS: 0:58 minutes
Types of Calls
The calls were categorized into different types based on their nature and location:
- Residential
- Commercial
- Education
- Healthcare
- Assembly
- Outdoors
- Other
Fire Incidents
A detailed breakdown of fire incidents shows the diversity of situations handled:
- Structure Fires: 8
- Chimney Fires: 1
- Vehicle Fires: 4
- Cooking Fires: 4
- Outside/Other Fires: 16
The estimated property loss due to these incidents was $73,533, while the property saved was an impressive $2,927,467, marking a 98.4% success rate in property preservation.
Fire Prevention Bureau Activities
The Fire Prevention Bureau was proactive, conducting 173 inspections across various types of occupancies:
- Assembly: 56
- Education: 8
- Healthcare: 10
- Utility: 4
- Business: 92
These inspections led to the identification of 314 safety violations, which were addressed to enhance the overall safety standards within the community.
Fire Chief’s Update
Milestones and Achievements
Key highlights include:
- Record-Breaking Quarter: The first quarter was the busiest on record for the department.
- Personnel Changes: Celebrated the retirement of LT Saunders and introduced new positions, including a Fire Marshal and Administrative Battalion Chief. Additionally, two new full-time firefighters were sworn in.
- Awards: Celebrated the firefighter and paramedic of the year.
- Compliance and Reporting: Completed the mandatory Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection report to ensure continued EMS billing revenue.
Financial and Operational Challenges
The report will highlight the need for additional funding and the critical need for resources to maintain and improve department operations. As a result, the BOT has decided to place an additional levy on the ballot this November, which it believes will be crucial in ensuring the department has the necessary resources to maintain its high standards and continue protecting the community.
