Ellerslie Fire Department conducted training tonight at the Ellerslie Park in preparation for this Saturday's Care for Colin 5K run. We checked all of our equipment, as well as the trails and bridges. We are prepared to remove any injured patients from anywhere on the trail, using UTV's, and in some cases hand carrying as a last option. Rest assured that when you use our park, whether you're using the tower, the disc golf course, fishing or hiking, we are prepared to help you when you need it. (fb)

Hello Ellerslie friends and neighbors, Our combination Fire Dept Board and Community informational meeting went very well tonight. It was a pleasure to meet with interested community members and discuss our local fire service with them. The department Chaplain opened with an invocation and the floor was immediately opened for questions. Among many of the subjects discussed were our department structure and membership, the means by which we are funded, and the methods of accountability taken for those funds. Also, the actual assets of the department vs. the needs, and some discussion of the nature of our calls and even how we assist other agencies nearby (more on that below). Some of the volunteer board members addressed the public with their own thoughts about the department financials, leadership and moral standing. Members of the public asked some valid questions about the area served and what the ISO ratings mean (the Insurance Services Organization rates fire departments on almost every aspect of services delivered. This includes items such as training, area water supply, manning, and call responses, etc. They then rate the department from 1 to 10 (1 being higher proficiency) and subsequently base the area residents' homeowner's insurance rates on the efficiency and performance of the department). EVFD currently holds an ISO rating of 4, which is considered very good for a community funded volunteer department, and because of this, everyone in our area has lower insurance rates. Other questions were basically about how many of the served residences pay the suggested annual donations of $50 (about 30%), who makes up the community that we serve, how many calls we respond to as well as what types of responses we perform. We discussed how many new residents move in from City areas and have no idea that their fire service operates off of donations (suggested annual dues per residence) and not taxes or fees. We discussed a need for community members to speak to new neighbors and tell them about how we are donation funded, and to watch out for our annual funding letter that goes out in September prior to our annual barbecue fund raiser (they often get thrown away and unread by new residents). We were asked about donations vs. County funding and how community members can address their commissioners about potential changes in how the department is funded, and if they would prefer a fee-based system. We discussed our newly donated boat for use on area lakes (like at the new park), what the equipment needs are to put the boat in service, and what types of calls we intend to use the boat for. We discussed ongoing operating costs such as fuel, power, vehicle maintenance, and equipment age. We talked about how protective equipment has a mandated service life and ages out of effective service even if it is well protected, and has to be taken out of use after a certain time. We discussed how our protective clothing has to be washed after fires to prevent cancer, which takes it out of service until it is dry, and how we have to manage whose gear is in service after calls because firefighters don't have an extra set of gear like many other departments have. A question was asked about if we have lifesaving equipment for animals and whether we make efforts to rescue animals from fires, which yes, we do, and we indeed do have that equipment on each truck. We discussed the members' training time and certification levels and how the different State agencies audit our various records (and that we received VERY positive feedback from auditors on how well our books were managed). We talked about the various mental health, personal, and financial costs on each volunteer's time, health, family life and employment situation. Among these were how the firefighters donate their own time, money, materials, fuel, food, and expertise to keep the department operating and in good shape without having to use community funds unless absolutely necessary. Did you know that most people are only exposed to critical, high-stress situations once or twice in a lifetime? Firefighters are expected to face these situations hundreds of times through their service career, which takes a toll on their mental health, all with zero pay. We talked about our need for COMMITTED volunteers, as many sign on to serve, but quit in a few months after they discover the physical, mental, emotional, financial, and time commitment required to volunteer vs. the lack of compensation. We also talked about how rewarding it is to help the community, and how our team is a close family, organically comprised of all races, genders and political backgrounds (which is a point of pride for us). We discussed how we are blessed by community support, which allows us to help adjacent departments and communities, such as how we dispatched last weekend during the Tornado to Columbus (after taking care of all calls in Ellerslie), and how we were trusted to fill-in and man Columbus Fire Dept stations on several occasions while they were on other duties or calls. We talked about our new station power generator, our fixed and mobile air supply/fill stations as well as how that makes us more effective to support other departments when they need those assets. All in all, it was an excellent forum, and we hope that our information was fulfilling and built confidence in the operating methods and accountability of the department. We truly thank everyone who came out, and look forward to any other questions or concerns to be directly addressed to the department leadership and board should they arise. We are an open book, as integrity is in our sworn oath, which we take extremely seriously. Many people often tell us "Thank you for your service." We truly appreciate your thanks. Just remember too, that your positive support and timely donations help us to spend less time with concerns about our day to day operational needs, and more time serving the community as well as time with our paying job, businesses and family. Because TIME is our most precious and most irreplaceable resource...your ongoing help is the most precious thanks that you can give for our service. Very respectfully, Chief Wyatt Asst. Chief Brad Holloway Fire Department Officers Department Team Members Department Board Members (fb)