Terrace Park fire chief outlines training, EMS plan to speed response

Fire Chief George Heffner told the Village of Terrace Park council the department has stepped up training and is pursuing operational changes intended to speed emergency medical response.

Heffner said firefighters have completed SCBA, engineer and radio-communication training and live-fire exercises since December, and that attendance at training has increased. He described a planned transition course that would upgrade volunteer firefighters to Firefighter Level 1 — a roughly 120-hour program compared with the department's prior 36-hour courses — and announced a new requirement that each firefighter attend at least one live-fire training annually to maintain certification.

On EMS, Heffner proposed equipping Engine 94 as a basic life support response vehicle "to assist when squad 94 is unavailable" and to reduce response times when the squad is already on a run or out of the area. "We're utilizing mostly existing equipment," Heffner said, adding that certified EMT personnel would use a first-in bag placed on the truck. The department has submitted a grant application to the Ohio Department of Fire Equipment to help fund personal protective equipment and is awaiting a spring decision.

Council members asked how often Engine 94 would take second calls and who would staff the vehicle; Heffner said the plan is limited to EMT-trained personnel initially and that details about staffing are still being worked out.

Heffner also described expanded mutual-aid responsibilities and discussions with neighboring departments about joint purchasing to reduce costs for PPE and radios, and noted recruitment and a planned late-spring fundraiser to support department needs.