The Delhi Township Fire Department told trustees Jan. 8 that it has placed new cardiac monitors into service, plans to use ketamine as an alternative to opioid pain medications on transports and has started an internal hiring process after a firefighter announced a voluntary resignation.

Fire Chief Campbell said the LifePak 35 monitors ordered in July were now deployed on all transport units and will change how crews manage cardiac events and communicate patient data to hospitals. "The LifePak 30 fives that we received last year are now in service and on all the trucks," he said, calling them a “big game changer” for resuscitation and cardiac care.

Campbell also told trustees the department plans to add ketamine as an alternative to fentanyl for pain management on selected transports to avoid narcotics where appropriate. He said the change responds to concerns about opioid side effects and addiction and will let crews stabilize and transport patients without necessarily using narcotics.

The board accepted the voluntary resignation of career firefighter-paramedic Zeno H. Perry IV, effective Jan. 28, 2025. Chief Campbell said the department has begun an internal hiring process and had four internal applicants who will be interviewed.

Other department updates included a run total just under 4,500 for the year, and a transition to a new records management system that delayed some monthly reporting. Campbell also reminded residents about home-safety measures after winter storms, urging people to clear furnace vents and check carbon-monoxide detectors.

Ending: The chief thanked trustees for support and said the department will continue training and equipment work while processing the internal applicants for the vacancy created by the resignation.