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Norwood Fire Chief outlines staffing, equipment and training needs in 2024 report
Summary
Fire Chief Tom McCabe told Norwood City Council the department finished 2024 largely stable at 52 positions, emphasized EMS workload, and outlined capital needs including a new ambulance, engine and a ladder truck with multi-year delivery timelines.
NORWOOD, Ohio — Fire Chief Tom McCabe told Norwood City Council on Feb. 25 that the Norwood Fire Department finished fiscal year 2024 “relatively stable,” but described immediate capital and staffing challenges as the department plans forward.
McCabe said the department is “currently staffed at 52 positions, 1 short,” with a hiring process underway. He described the operational model as three platoons of roughly 16 members each with a daily minimum crew of 13 on 24-hour shifts.
“Average response time last year, 3 minutes, 17 seconds,” McCabe said, and noted that emergency medical services account for about 70% of run volume. He said about 32% of calls overlap other active calls and mutual aid remains part of daily operations: “We received 127 mutual aid calls, but we’ve given it 112.”
Why it matters: McCabe framed the department’s needs as a mix of personnel succession, equipment replacement and training capacity. He said 12 members are close enough to retirement…
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