WESTERVILLE — Genoa Township has a Fire Advisory Committee, and The Gazette has covered the first quarter of 2023 meetings previously. Here are the highlights from the remaining meetings of last year.
• On April 4, there was an update on the new ladder truck currently on order. “Delivery/lead time for the $1.6 million truck is 20-24 months,” minutes said.
There were also discussions about building “a second fire station on the east side of Hoover Reservoir to improve run times to those portions of Genoa Township in that area.” Run times are as long as 12 minutes to that area, and the national standard is 4-6 minutes. The township does own land on the east side of Hoover.
• The May 2 meeting had a discussion regarding fires caused by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, and potential fire hazards due to lightning strikes due to ungrounded natural gas flex lines.
• At the June 6 meeting, it was noted that “additional security cameras are being added to the fire station.”
• During the July 11 meeting, it was announced that “GTFD was awarded funding to replace all of the self-contained breathing apparatus and face masks and also funding for the vehicle exhaust removal system,” minutes said. “Was not successful in the request for the new station breathing air compressor.”
• Near the end of the Sept. 5 meeting, there was a question centered around the two roundabouts being installed by the county on Big Walnut Road in 2025. The roundabouts may impact travel by the fire department’s vehicles, along with response times for the two to three months of closure needed for their construction. The Genoa Township Fire Department (GTFD) may need to rely on mutual aid from nearby fire/emergency stations for certain runs.
• It was said during the Oct. 3 meeting that two different GTFD crews will be presented Life Saving Awards by the Genoa Township Board of Trustees for saving the lives of two people in separate incidents, each involving cardiac arrest.
• The last committee meeting of the year was held on Nov. 7. It was said that GTFD celebrated its 50th anniversary during Trick or Treat Village and open house in late October.
The Fire Advisory Committee consists of Chair John McHale, Vice Chair Chris Chesson, Secretary Frank Michell, Trustee Mark Antonetz, Reid Caryer, Tracy Damschroder, Mary Fehskens, Chelsea Fuller, Jeff Gale, Fred Johnson, Duane Knauer, Tom Munley, George Schultz, Tammy Sroufe and Fire Chief Joe Ponzi.
Assistant Editor Gary Budzak photographs and reports on stories in eastern Delaware County and surrounding areas.
