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West Chester Fire Department reports $220,000 in January property loss; mandates new physicals, studies vehicle cameras
Summary
Fire Chief Mark Scanlon detailed January incident responses, training hours and new personnel policies; the department is evaluating vehicle cameras and said mandatory physicals for interior firefighters are being implemented.
Mark Scanlon, chief of the West Chester Fire Department, reported department activity for January and described new personnel and equipment efforts.
Scanlon said the department recorded an estimated $220,000 in property loss in January compared with a pre-incident value the department estimated at $2,800,000, which he attributed to quick response from live-in members and dedicated volunteers. He said members logged about 1,060.3 hours of training and roughly 1,100 hours in additional activities such as fitness and station staffing.
Notable January responses cited by Scanlon included a building fire on East Market Street, house fires on Jacqueline Drive and Rock Creek Road and vehicle fires on Wilmington Pike and Sunset Hollow Road.
The department has implemented mandatory medical physicals for all new members and for current members who serve as interior firefighters, Scanlon said; he said he will discuss whether the change reduces the department’s insurance premium with John Klouser. The department has also formed a committee to evaluate adding vehicle cameras to apparatus, and Scanlon said staff had gathered multiple quotes and are drafting a standard operating procedure for camera use.
Scanlon told the committee that the department saw an increase in fire-alarm dispatches, with 45.26% of responses classified as fire alarms in January compared with just over 41% in December.
Ending: The department will continue committee work on vehicle-camera policies and monitor whether mandatory physicals affect insurance costs.
