When that occurs, one of the district’s first moves will be examining staffing to ensure that it can reopen Station 51 on Wood Road with a full detail, Barnett said. That fire house was closed in 2019 to minimize costs in the face of mounting fiscal challenges.
MVFD also can use funds from the new levy to replace aging fire apparatus, including fire engines that are as much as 26 years old and ambulances that are 20 years old, he said. It would also let the fire district replace aging fire gear, like coats, pants, helmets, gloves and boots.
Replacing the district’s vehicles with new ones won’t happen overnight, as it takes between a year and a year-and-a-half to get a new ambulance and as much as two years to receive a new fire truck, Barnett said.
“We may end up having to look even at newer, used apparatus or demos from fire apparatus manufacturers or amb manu just to get us through until something else can be built,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of equipment that’s just kind of on its last leg and I can tell you getting Station 51 opened back up is kind of a priority for getting equipment because the equipment that’s there now, if it was running daily, I don’t know that it would last a long time, because it technically is a reserve apparatus.”
The department also will use the increased funding the new levy will provide to upgrade equipment, including automated CPR devices and cardiac monitors, and replace manual cots, where EMTs must lift patients of all sizes, to an automatic cot that is battery operated.
“We’re upgrading equipment and, knowing that we’ll have the funding, do a true needs assessment,” he said.
In addition, some of the district’s fire stations need to be upgraded, including various elements such as bathrooms, showers and HVAC equipment, Barnett said.
The district also needs to work on “getting in more depth on our stations and what’s going to get us through the next few years until we can start a station replacement program,” he said.
The fire district covers more than 30 square miles in Miamisburg and Miami Twp., serving approximately 80,000 people, including 50,000 residents.
The district was excited that voters approved the levy, Barnett said.
“All the firefighters worked very, very hard along with other representatives from the city and the township to move this forward,” he said. “We’re very appreciative of the city of Miamisburg and Miami Twp. residents being supportive of us and now it’s our turn to show them that we’re appreciative of what they’ve done and spend their tax dollars wisely.”
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