Norwood Fire Chief outlines staffing, equipment and training needs in 2024 report

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 that departures could reshape staffing, and the department returned roughly $650,000 to city coffers in 2024 after some capital items were delayed.

Capital and training needs: McCabe listed several upcoming equipment and facility priorities. He said the department has an ambulance arriving this year, took delivery steps on an engine ordered last year (preconstruction meeting held), and hopes to request city authorization this year to order a ladder truck that has about a four-year build time. McCabe described a decades-old firehouse (built in 1974) as “workable” but in need of planning for long-term replacement or rehabilitation and emphasized the lack of a dedicated live-fire training site.

Inspections and prevention: The chief reported the department completed more than 2,000 code enforcement activities in 2024, including state-required permanent inspections and annual inspections for businesses and multi-family residential buildings (7+ units). He said the city conducts college-rental inspections and has had only one serious college-rental fire in the last decade.

Maintenance and efficiency: McCabe said the department tests roughly three miles of hose annually, performs in-house SCBA maintenance (saving about $12,000 a year), and coordinates hydrant maintenance with Public Works staff. He said Norwood has “over 545 fire hydrants” and typically fewer than 10 are out of service at any time.

Budget context and planning: McCabe said public safety typically consumes a majority of an urban city’s budget and that police and fire accounted for about 62% of Norwood’s actual expenditures last year. He said labor comprises the bulk of fire costs and that department leaders are developing a 10-year capital plan for the mayor’s office and council review. McCabe suggested one funding approach: dedicate EMS billing revenue to a capital fund for ambulances and related equipment.

Community engagement and personnel: McCabe highlighted training—“over 7,000 hours of continuing education and training”—and noted the department’s community service activities, including smoke-detector distribution and senior-center programs. He also flagged workforce diversity goals and said the department is trying to recruit a more diverse workforce.

Council comment and next steps: Mayor Victor Schneider, who followed the presentation with remarks, said public works and other departments are coordinating on hydrant preventive maintenance and that the city is working with the department on multi-year capital planning. McCabe invited council members to visit the firehouse and participate in stakeholder discussions about training facilities and long-term public-safety facility planning.

Ending: McCabe closed by asking for council support on capital planning and thoughtful financing options for apparatus purchases that may span multiple budget years.

Speakers cited: Chief Tom McCabe, Norwood Fire Department; Mayor Victor Schneider.