Fire Board Approves Exercise Equipment Purchase
The Turkey Creek Township Fire Board Monday evening, Nov. 9, appropriated $36,546.27 for the purchase of physical fitness equipment to be installed in Fire Station 1 in Syracuse.
The funds will come from the new equipment line item of the department’s 2015 operations budget.
“This physical fitness equipment will help us assure our employees remain physically fit and our employees in 77PERF (the state’s police and firefighters pension plan) have the ability to complete their physical fitness examinations as required,” said Fire Chief Mickey Scott.
“Physical fitness is very important in our daily duties in order to have the ability to perform tasks at emergency scenes effectively, to minimize the possibility of injury to our personnel and to minimize the possibility of worker’s compensation claims that could result in large expenses and lost work time to the department,” he said.
The purchase will yield an additional financial benefit, according to Scott. Because health insurance premiums are pegged to firefighters’ performance on the physical exams, the department’s insurance costs will decrease.
Station 2 personnel will be able to switch their shifts to Station 1 to access the equipment.
Syracuse Police Department will share the use of the equipment.
The department’s finances are in good shape to support the expenditure, with just under 56 percent of the year’s budget spent through October. “We have been working real hard to squeeze that money to get where we are today,” Scott said.
In other business:
• The recently replaced grass fire truck was sold at auction for $11,750. The proceeds will be returned to the township trustee. Some appraisers thought the truck would bring only about $6,000, according to Scott.
• The department received a return premium of $6,585 as determined by a worker’s compensation policy audit for calendar year 2014.
• The fire training class for state certification will conclude Nov. 19 with a module test. “We are working on scheduling more training classes for state certification after the holidays,” said Scott. “The training room built with the second story addition at Station 1 is working great for these classes,” he said.
• The selection of deputy fire chief will be announced at next month’s meeting. “The deputy chief will be in charge of all training so all crews will be trained exactly the same,” said Scott.
As a public service reminder, Scott addressed home heating safety.
“Everyone is urged to make sure space heaters are kept away from flammable materials and far away from items like curtains, bedding or clothing.
“Those using wood stoves and fireplaces are reminded to use only dry, seasoned firewood to avoid the buildup of creosote, which can prevent the chimney from operating properly and result in chimney fires.
“Flammable liquids should not be utilized to start fires in fireplaces or wood stoves. Closing the damper too early with hot ashes in the fireplace can lead to the release of dangerous levels of carbon monoxide throughout the house. A screen should always be utilized to prevent sparks from flying into the room.”
He said the department has smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for township residents who cannot afford them.
They may be picked up at either fire station.
The board next meets at 6:45 p.m. Monday, Dec. 14, at Syracuse Town Hall.