Members of the Turkey Creek Fire Board welcomed Larry Martindale to their ranks at their Monday, Jan. 9, meeting.

The board has interviewed Randy Cox and Cindy Taylor to serve as its fifth member but has made no nomination to the Syracuse Town Council, which must approve the selection.

Fire Chief Mickey Scott presented his year-end report and emergency run summary.

The department responded to 1,365 emergency calls during 2016, an average of approximately four runs per day, and roughly the same as the 1,363 runs in 2015.

The territory experienced $383,615 in property loss last year, but the department saved 4-1/2 times that amount at $1,723,450.

“We look at the estimated value of the property,” said Scott, “and take that number minus the damaged property” to arrive at the property saved figure. “For vehicles we look in the (Kelley) Blue Book for the value,” he said.

“For example,” said Scott, “if we respond to a kitchen fire, we subtract the damage to the kitchen from the value of the entire home.”

Sometimes, he said, the damage occurs “before we even get there.”

Scott also reported the department used only 88.51 percent of its operations budget in 2016. “We do have some December expenses that are yet to be paid,” he said. “We will provide the 2016 year-end budget summary at the February meeting.”

The board approved $10,500 from the fire territory equipment replacement budget for three IV infusion pumps for the department’s ambulances.

“Our current IV infusion pumps are very sensitive to air and this results in multiple therapy interruptions as the administration set has to be removed from the pump each time to remove the air,” said Scott. “These pumps are outdated and repairs are difficult to obtain.”

The new IV pump design rectifies the inadequacy, “therefore reducing therapy interruptions and reducing the risk of infection.”

The territory is slated to replace its 1998 2,000-gallon tanker with a new 3,500-gallon vacuum tanker. The current tanker, a converted milk truck, was purchased in 2010.

The new vacuum tanker will dispense water in about half the time as the gravity tanker now in use and does not require a pumper for refilling.

The territory has allocated $275,000 in the 2017 budget for the replacement.

Scott also announced, “our department is currently accepting applications through Friday, Jan. 20, for a full-time firefighter/paramedic to fill an opening we currently have. Applications are currently available at both fire stations and online at www.syracusefd.com under ‘Files.’”

Department personnel attended 200 hours of training in December, on subjects including hazmat training, structure fire scene size-up, apparatus safety, rescue boat operations, winter driving and snow plowing.

The board appointed Turkey Creek Township Trustee Barb Griffith to take notes and type minutes of the board meetings and hired Andrew Grossnickle as its attorney for 2017.

The board will next meet at 6:45 p.m. Monday, Feb. 13, at Syracuse Town Hall.