Bruce Hawk, Brad Mckee, Andy Huber & Jim Polce recently attended the Howell Crash Course in Fairborn, Ohio. Firefighters from all over the state were trained on different extrication & stabilization techniques. There were over 200 cars that were provided by Howell Rescue Systems, this is considered to be the premier extrication training in the country. Please click on the link below for the video of Crash Course 2013, you may see some familiar faces.

Rescue 61 participated in a mock disaster drill at Hamilton County Fairgrounds.  As many as 300 victims were involved in the drill including four buses.  There were multiple victims in the grand stands, buses, and in cars.  It all started with what was believed to be an explosion intentionally set off.  Crews were then dispatched and given assignments upon arrival.  LSFD Rescue 61 was assigned to extricate victims from a car that was under an overturned bus.  After the extrication R61 crew assisted with removal of several patients from the crash area to triage.  There were crews from all over Hamilton County and surrounding counties. LSFD Rescue 61 crew was FF Bill Adkins, FF Andy Huber, FF John Eadicicco, and FF Matt Stelle. Take a look at the link below.

T61 was dispatched into Deerfield Township last week for the fire at Stonebridge Apartments. The tower set up for defensive operations & assisted in overhaul. T61 crews were onscene for a couple of hours then went available. Take a look at the link posted below.

LSFD crews were down at City Hall to talk to the 3rd graders from Loveland Primary School about fire safety. Tom Carrol spoke to the class about its local government & how the city operates. Public Works spoke about its water department & where our water comes from. LPD also spoke to the class about how the police department operates. The class then went outside to look through all of the different types of vehicles.

Brad Mckee, Adam Stiggal & Jeremy Saum recently completed their Ohio Fire Inspector classes. The class consists of review of everyday fire knowledge, different hazardous materials & the Ohio Fire Code. Business were also toured for to show different types of extinguishment equipment. The class ends with a state test of 50 closed book questions & 50 open book question in the Ohio Fire Code. Congrats guys on a job well done.

LSFD will have their summer interns here & working by May 12th. This years interns are Matt Behrman, Tyler Lambert & Shay Massey, all attend Oklahoma State University Fire Program. The interns will have specialized jobs given to them over the course of the next week & are a great asset to LSFD. Welcome & Good Luck guys!

On May 7th LSFD crews responded to report of auto accident on Loveland Madeira Rd at the I-275 East exit ramp. Upon arriving at the scene found over turned dump truck, with the driver out of the vehicle. According to the driver there was a brake failure on the truck which caused the accident One patient was transported with minor injuries, once the scene was cleared all units went available.

T61 crew was recently at Primrose School in Symmes Twp for a public education. LSFD members Todd Holt, John Myers, Bruce Hawk & Jim Polce spoke to a group of 4-5 year olds on fire safety. The kids were able to see what our gear looks like & learned some good safety tips. Thanks again to the Primrose School for having us out.

Nate Ritchey, Bruce Hawk & Jeremy Saum attended a Juvenile Firesetter Course given through the State Fire Marshall’s office at Fairfield Fire Department. The class was a 2 day course that discussed different levels of juvenile firesetters & how to help these individuals. Different scenarios were discussed along with proper interviewing techniques. This was a very well informed class thanks again to Fairfield Fire Department & the State Fire Marshal Office.

Senior Expo 2013 has come & gone with another successful year. The event was held at Receptions on Loveland Madeira Rd. This year’s event was maxed out with vendors & our senior participants. This is a great event to put seniors in touch with several different types of assistance to help with their quality of life. Thanks again for everyone that made it out & to those who assisted with special thanks to LSFD’s very own Linda Keeley who organized this year’s event.

Last evening, at 1953 hours, Tower 61 turned out along with other NEFC companies on the first alarm to a reported occupied multi-family dwelling fire at 10828 Kingslake Drive in Sycamore Township. That apartment complex is right off Montgomery Road at I-275. E-93 arrived first due reporting a working fire. Tower 61 was first due truck and immediately supplied E-93 with water as well as supplying themselves. E-93 crew searched for victims (all searches were negative) and worked hard to knock down the large volume of fire. Chief 92-02 (A/C Penny) was in command and ordered Tower 61 to flow water due to heavy fire conditions. A 2nd alarm was struck at 2007 hours. The fire never got past the fire walls and was held to the primary apartment on the second floor with extension to the Delta exposure apartment as well as the apartments below on the first floor.

Departments responding were Sycamore 92/93, Loveland-Symmes 61, Sharonville 88, Blue Ash 13/15, Montgomery 73, Evendale 40, Woodlawn 96, Madiera-Indian Hill 65, Mason 51/52 and Deerfield 56/57.

LSFD D/C Mark Rose and D/C Billy Goldfeder were on the scene along with Chiefs 92-02, 86-02, 40, 56 and 89-02.

LSFD crews have been training on long lay & reverse lays for the month of April. Crews were instructed to drop a tail to T61 and extend the long lay to the next hydrant which is about 2 blocks away. While the tower set up for aerial operations the engine is obtaining a water supply from the hydrant & supplying the tower. All of this must be done within a 5 minute timeline. Photos listed below were provided by A-Shift during there training.

On April 17th & 18th the Northeast Fire Collaborative met at Scarlet Oaks for live night fire training.  Chief Blum, Captain Mousa (Sharonville), LT Chris Ellis (Sharonville), LT Grant Light (Cincinnati), FF Bill Adkins and FF John Eadicicco were instructors.  Crews ran scenarios using blue card techniques. The scenario had companies going onscene with fire on the first and second floors of the structure.  Loveland-Symmes, Blue Ash, Sharonville, and Mason participated in the training. 

LSFD had a special little guest have her birthday at Station 62 last week. Kids came for cake & Ice Cream & a tour of the station. The birthday girl took a little ride in Q62 & even got to hear the sirens. It was a fun day had by all, Happy Birthday Katie!

Congratulations to LSFD’s newest recruit class. They all are very hard workers and will make a great addition to our ranks. The class has finished their Fire and EMS Orientation. During the month of April they will be getting in to do some drive time on the medic units & then joining their respective shifts.
 
Aaron York
Kirsten Worth
Jake Westrich
Michael Swafford
Andrew Schmidt
Phillip Pieper
Sean McAllister
John Land
Nicholas Gehring
Christopher Mason
Andrew Jones
Mitchell Logsdon

Air Care was called back into Loveland last week when a worker fell off of the new addition at the Loveland Stage Company. Station 63 crew was in the bay working when they were summoned by the patient’s co-worker. St. 63 crew were with the patient within seconds of the call, Air Care was mobilized immediately. District Chief Frye had command, Q62 was dispatched to assist with the patient & to set up the landing zone for Air Care.
Chief Huber, Chief Turner, Chief Blum, Chief Goldfeder & Chief Books were also onscene for assistance.

Engine 63 participated in a community welcoming committee to welcome home the Loveland High School Show Choir after winning a National event in Nashville over the weekend. Congratulations to all who participated for a job well done!

The Honor Guard was asked to present the colors for the opening night at the Reds game along with Springdale Police Department.  This is always a huge honor to present the colors during the national anthem. It’s always nice to see our Honor Guard participate in events such as this.

Symmes Township Trustees, along with Chief Huber recognized Chief Dowers for his years of service with LSFD at this past week’s township meeting. Several members of LSFD were on hand with many friends & family members. Congrats to Chief Dowers & good luck on your future endeavors.

Crews will be out in their districts over the course of the next 2 months, servicing & inspecting hydrants. Please keep an eye open for them on the side of the road & moving around in their vehicles. If you notice a hydrant leaking or one that has been damaged please give us a call. Crews will be out Monday through Friday from 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. When we flush hydrants it stirs up rust throughout the system so please turn on your faucets at home to see if your water line was affected, if it is just run your faucet for a couple of minutes to clean out your line. 

Loveland-Symmes Senior Expo & Luncheon
Wednesday, May 1st , 2013
10:00 am to 1:30 pm
Receptions Conference Center
10681 Loveland Madeira Road, Loveland Ohio
 
Come enjoy a free lunch provided by the Loveland Symmes Firefighters and prepared just for you by the Chefs of Receptions.
 
Enjoy demonstrations and informational booths from local vendors and groups specializing in the health and welfare of today’s mature adults.
 
Door prizes, entertainment by Matt Snow, “The Cincinnati Sinatra” and lots of give-a-ways to all participants.  Transportation provided if needed.
 
Event limited to 100 seniors. Please R.S.V.P. to Linda Keeley at 774-3016.

Loveland-Symmes FD Fire-Medics responded to an incident this afternoon for a critically injured patient in the City of Loveland, The victim was apparently cutting a tree, fell 12+ feet onto the ground with the tree landing on the victim. Neighbors removed the tree as others called LSFD. The victim suffered numerous and very serious traumatic injuries including leg and head injuries. Our Fire-Medics immediately determined the injuries were critical enough to require medevac to UC Trauma, District Chief Gregory had command. Air-care arrived within minutes and the patient was transported. Thank you to Deputy Chief Goldfeder & Deputy Chief Books for their assistance on this incident.

The Loveland Symmes Fire Department is holding their second Citizens Fire Academy starting March 26.  Captain Oughterson is the overall training officer and the ESU is providing most of the training.
 
The training is as follows:
 
· March 26  – LSFD Introduction, 1900-2100, Station 62
            Tour NECC, Station 62 and walk-thur of District 1
·April 10 - Medic & Rescue , 1900-2100, Station 61
            Walk thur of Medic unit and Rescue 61
·April 23  – Ladder Operations, 1900-2100, Station 61 
            Operation of Tower 61
· May 7 – SCBA and Search & Rescue – 1900-2100, Station 61
            SCBA familiarization (Large classroom)
· May 22 – Engine Operations, 1900 – 2100, Station 61
            Hose operations
· June 11 –ESU Operations, MCI Unit, Fire Extinguishers - 1900-2030, Station 60
            Support 62, MCU Trailer & fire extinguisher training
· June 25 –Station 63 Tour & Graduation Station 61, 1900-2100
                        Tour 63, travel to Station 61 for graduation ceremony (large classroom)
 
The Citizens Fire Academy offers adult (18 years or older) citizens in the Loveland/Symmes community to learn about their fire department.
 
The training is a fun and easy way for participants to see demonstrations and participate in hands-on training at their comfort level.  They will have the opportunity to do a few of the things firefighters are expected to do while on the job.  Examples include hose and ladder operations, use of firefighting equipment, and the ability to see the vehicles and other equipment up close.
 
Although it is not expected, after completion of the fire academy, graduates are given the opportunity to assist the department in a variety of nonoperational activities or to join the Emergence Services Unit (ESU).
 
If you are interested about the LSFD Citizens Fire Academy, you can go to the LSFD website, go to http://www.lsfd.org/ and click on the “Volunteer” button. You may also contact Lt Jim Hellyer at jhellyer@safety-center.org

The Emergency Services Unit (ESU) of the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department received the Ohio Fire Corps Award of Excellence and the National Fire Corps Honorable Mention on Saturday, March 16, 2013, at the Ohio Fire Corps Conference. Lieutenant Jim Hellyer of the ESU received the Ohio award from Candice McDonald, the Ohio Fire Corps State Advocate and the national award from Sara Lee, the Deputy Director of the National Volunteer Fire Council and Director of the Fire Corps. The Ohio Fire Corps Conference was held at the Mohican State Park Lodge & Conference Center.
 
Lt. Hellyer receiving Ohio Award from Candice McDonald.
 
The Fire Corps is the key component of Citizen Corps that supports and supplements resource-constrained Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) through the use of citizen advocates for departmental activities.  There are 1347 Fire Corps units nationally and approximately 40 units in Ohio, with the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department unit being unique.
 
The Loveland-Symmes Fire Department’s ESU provides supplemental operational and administrative assistance specifically in the area of fire, disaster, and related emergency services. It is made up of 14 volunteers from the community that wanted to serve their community and the fire department. The unit was established in 2005 born from ideas in the department strategic planning session from Fire Chief Otto Huber.  It was based upon the Federal Community Emergency Response Team and Fire Corps.  The program, which is directed by Deputy Fire Chief Billy Goldfeder and Lt. Jim Hellyer, took it a step further. According to LSFD Fire Chief Otto Huber, “ESU members may choose to be assigned to a duty crew at a firehouse and participate directly in emergency response activities along with the on-duty, regular firefighters.” ESU members are also subject to regular emergency "call out" to assist in specific situations as needed, which include assisting on fire and emergency calls, performing traffic control at events and incidents, and providing disaster support services such as flood and wind storm response.  This is in addition to supporting many community events. This frees up the department’s professional firefighters and medics to concentrate their efforts on providing the best possible care and services to the community. The ESU also helps maintain the fire department’s Homeland Security’s Mass Casualty Unit and provide much of the planning and training for the Citizens Fire Academy, which offers citizens within the community the opportunity to learn more about their fire department.  It was the expanded roles of the department’s ESU that helped them stand out in Ohio and the nation and earned them the recognition for the awards.
 
Chief Huber has emphasized that "our volunteer members do some serious and important work.  Those who have joined have learned that they gain at least as much as they contribute. If not for the dedication of our residents and the financial support of the Township Board of Trustees and the City Council, this program would not be possible.” Deputy Chief Goldfeder goes on to say, “We are beyond proud of our ESU members and their achievements.”
 
 
 
 
 

We have a group of 13 new part timers slated to start on March 28th.  The training division will be putting them through 40 hours of basic company training.  This training will take place on March 28, 29 & April 1st 2nd and 3rd.  Chief Books will be educating the new recruits to get them through basic EMS orientation.  Once they complete this training they will start working while on probation to finish their FTO packets.

Members of the NEFC recently had Hose Advancement Training at Scarlet Oaks. Crews were training on responding to a multi-floor building filled with smoke & possible occupants trapped. Crews arrived onscene, receive orders from command &  would go to work like any other fireground. The main objective of this training was to see how well crews deployed hose up multiple floors in a smoked filled environment & extinguish the fire. This is another example of the great trainings put out by the NEFC. In addition we received a little press out of the training, check out the news article below.

LSFD units D1, M63, Q62, M60 & R61 were dispatched for a vehicle rollover into a creek on North 2nd Street last week. Upon arrival M63 found a single car MVA with a vehicle on its top in the creek with two patients on the side of the road & one patient still in the vehicle. District Chief Gregory arrived on scene & had command. The patient in the vehicle removed herself & all three patients were immediately transported to the hospital. Two patients were transported by LSFD medic units & one patient with Hamilton Townships medic unit. Thank you to Deputy Chief Books, District Chief Rose & LPD for assisting with this incident.

Congratulations to Nick Steins, John Meyers & Bill Grove on being hired full-time with LSFD. These three gentleman went through a very difficult hiring process with extensive testing. All three will be filling empty positions that were open, Nick & John will be heading to C-Shift while Bill will be joining A-Shift. Congratulations to Deputy Chief Books & District Chief Jon Frye on there promotions. District Chief Frye will be filling Chief Books position on C-Shift & Chief Books will be heading up our EMS services vacated by Deputy Chief Dowers. Well done guys & good luck with your new positions.

C-shift had training over ventilation and cutting commercial doors. Crews reviewed and displayed proper saw handling, maintenance, and cutting techniques on both the roof simulator and commercial door simulator. Crews also discussed different types of locks & how to breach them to make access into buildings. 

A-Shift recently had a shift training over forcible entry & cutting devices. Crews also discussed & had hands on practicals with the Petrogen Torch. Different scenarios were discussed & which tools should be used given the incident.

After 25 years of service to LSFD and our communities Deputy Chief Dowers will be retiring.  Brian has had a very distinguished career rising through the ranks as a Lieutenant, Captain and eventually as Deputy Fire Chief. During his career here Brian has been a member of the Honor Guard, Dive Team Commander, SRT Medic and managed our EMS Division. We wish Brian well as he moves from full-time status to Honorary Member. Brian will begin a second chapter in his life as he becomes a Deputy Sheriff for Clermont County. 
 
Deputy Chief Dowers will be entitled to all the rights of an honorary member of the LSFD.

LSFD‘s February shift training covered RAT operations & techniques. Crews discussed & practiced different ways to spin, drag & carry a firefighter in the event one of our own go down or become entrapped during & incident.  Mayday procedures were performed as well to practice. Crews then went through a final evolution of responding as a RAT team locating a down firefighter in a residential structure & removing him from the building.

T61, E62, and D1 dispatched for car fire. D1 was first on scene & advised all incoming units that the engine compartment was on fire, District Chief Books had command. T61 pulled a handline & had initial attack. E62 second on scene assisted with extinguishment and overhaul, fire was found to be a mechanical malfunction. 

NEFC crews met at Sharon Woods last week for ice rescue training. Four man crews went through different evolutions to prepare for the final practical evolution. Crews prepared the boat, suited up in dry suits, communicated using specialized hand signals & used different styles of hooks to pull items from the water. The final evolution consisted of two man crew going out in the boat & pulling a victim from the water & a two man crew pulling them all back into safety. Please remember not to get on untested ice especially when we are having warmer temps as of late, be safe.

LSFD will be conducting another Citizens Fire Academy beginning March 26th, 2013. This is a great opportunity to learn about your local fire department & its everyday operations.. Trainees will attend 7 classes lasting a couple of hours over the course of three months. Please check out the article below & if you're interested in learning more click on our volunteer page & fill out the form at the bottom of the page. We look forward to spending time with our citizens in the near future.

The New Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil met with Clermont County Sheriff Tim Rodenberg and Fire Chief Otto Huber for a informational session on the workings of Task Force One Regional Dive and Swift Water Rescue Team. Task Force One serves the UASI Region and represents a model for regionalization in Public Safety. Pictured left to right is Sheriff Neil, Sheriff Rodenberg and Fire Chief Huber.

Children from the Loveland Intermediate School stopped by St. 62 this week for a tour of the fire & police department. The students were able to look through all of our apparatus to see the tools we use on a daily basis. There was also a discussion on safety tips as well. The children were very wel behaved & were a pleasure to have stop by. 

LSFD's website will be under construction the next 4 weeks. We are refreshing the site with updated information & photos. Thanks for your patience & we hope you enjoy the new & improved website in 2013.

With the recent retirement of Daniel Lankin, M.D., former Chief Medical Officer for 30 years, Loveland Symmes Fire Department announced Michael A. Policastro, M.D., FACEP as the new Chief Medical Officer in August 2012.  Dr. Policastro is Board Certified in medical toxicology and emergency medicine.  He attended Wright State University School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio and received academic scholarship in 1997-1998.  Additionally, his education includes University of Cincinnati, Fellowship, Medical Toxicology 1/2006-1/2008, Case Western Reserve University/MetroHealth/Cleveland Clinic Foundation as Emergency Medicine Residency 2001-2004 and Chief Resident 2003-2004. He attended Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio B.S., Natural Science, cum laude, 1993-1997. His certification includes DIPLOMATE, AMERICAN BOARD OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE and DIPLOMATE, Medical Toxicology, AMERICAN BOARD OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE.


Some of Dr. Policastro"s present experiences and affiliations include:  

• Director, Medical Toxicology, Qualified Emergency Medicine Specialist, Inc. (QESI)
• Clinical Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine, Write State University
• Malignant Hyperthermia Association Of The United States, Expert Guideline Panel Member
• Attending Emergency Medicine Physician, (QESI) Tri-Health Hospitals (Bethesda North/Good Samaritan)
• Medical Toxicologist, Consultant, Cincinnati Drug and Poison Information Center
• Zoo and Aquarium, Antivenom Consultant
• Fellow, American College Emergency Physicians
• Ohio State Medical License
• American College of Emergency Physicians
• American College of Medical Toxicology
• American Academy Clinical Toxicology

Dr. Policastro continues to focus on enhancing EMS operations of the Loveland Symmes Fire Department.  Protocol reviews, quality assurance and modern medical care technologies remain on the forefront of Dr. Policastro’s agenda.  The LSFD recently purchased and placed into service a new advanced airway management tool known as the King VISION.  Paramedics now provide endotrachael intubation using a video scope that facilitates placement of a breathing tube into the trachea. 

Dr. Policastro is facilitating additional LSFD EMS education this year with Tri-Health, Center for Simulation and Education 10500 Montgomery Road Cincinnati, OH 45242 in the areas of airway management, obstetrics, and neonate resuscitation.  More information is forthcoming following the program. 

Fire Chief Otto Huber was sworn in Thursday as the 2013-2014 President of the Clermont County Fire Chief Association. Common Court Judge Kathleen Rodenberg was on hand to officiate over the ceremony. Pictured is Chief Steve Pegram Chief Kevin Riley Judge Rodenberg Chief Owens and LSFD Chief Huber. Congrats Chief Huber! 

Units were dispatched for a reported structure fire, upon arrival T61 found a medium two story residential structure with smoke showing. T61 established accountability & command on the alpha side, crews were in the offensive strategy. T61 crew pulled a handline to the charlie side, T61 crew then requested a flying standpipe with another handline to the charlie side. Chief 6001 was assigned the alpha side, Chief 6004 was assigned the charlie side, E60 was assigned to RAT, E88 assigned to the alpha side with a handline to conduct search, rescue & fire extension. R52 was on deck & T13 was on deck at the command post. M73 checked on the condition of the occupants. Fire was extinguished, overhaul & salvage was performed, property was ventilated & deodorzed. No extension was found, it was determined the fire was started by a discarded cigaretted on an addition. Report was taken & all units went available.

Crews will be training on air bags in January for the tool of the month. Topics discussed were different sized air bags & uses, operating pressures & cribbing. Safety & proper techniques were discussed in depth due to the hazards that come along with utilizing these tools. Three man teams assembled the Vetter High Pressure Airbags & utilized cribbing to operate these tools in conjunction in a safe & proficient manner.

Crews will be reviewing may day drills & PPE & SCBA practicals for their monthly shift training. Individuals had to get dressed in their full turnout gear & put on their SCBA & breathing air in 2 minutes. Teams of two then went through an entanglement drill practicing techniques to extricate themselves or crew members. Individuals also practiced calling a may day for themselves or for the recovery of another firefighter who had called for help. This training is a good way to start out the year & to remember to always practice our basic skills.

15 Boy Scouts came to station 61 to learn about fire safety and to take a tour of the station.  Captain Frye spoke to the group about fire safety, escape routes, safe meeting place & safety when around camp fires. The scouts also were able to look through our apparatus & our tools. Thank you to the boy scouts for stopping by station 61 & sharing their day with us.

Crews were dispatched for a dumpster fire on Wittenberg Dr. Upon arrival crews found trash cans on fire next to home. Q62 crew pulled a handline & extinguished fire on the Delta side of property, E63 checked for extension inside of home. No extension was found, scene was cleared crews went available.
Units onscene:
D1, Q62, E63, M61 Chief 60-01, Chief 60-03, Chief 60-04 & Chief 60-06

Here at LSFD we look at trends that are happening in the community & try to warn or remind folks of little things that can keep you safe & from having a fire in your home. Please remember when removing coals from a fireplace or charcoal grills don’t place them in a plastic container or anything else that would be considered combustible. Place these coals in a metal bucket or container & keep them away from your house or any other structure till they are completely cooled off. The same goes with outside fire pits please don’t put these in your garage after use, it doesn’t take much for these items to catch your house on fire.

A vehicle traveling south bound I-71, apparently lost control on the icy/snowy road, and started spinning and spun directly thru the center cross overturn and through the opening into the north bound traffic & struck the blade of a north bound ODOT snow plow, kept moving, ended up on the north bound right lane hill area. Sole occupant of the car was a fatality. Please keep the occupants family in your thoughts & prayers.

Units on the run:
Rescue 61, Engine 60, Medic 61 & 63, District 1, Chief 60-04.

Everyone here at LSFD hope everyone has had a Happy Holiday this past month &  has a Happy New Year! Please be safe, watch out for those icey roads & keep those chimneys clean. Please let us know if there is anything you might need.

Q62 & District 1 were dispatched for an MVA with no injuries. Upon arrival a vehicle was found wedged between several trees & a power lines. The tow truck driver was unable to remove vehicle in its current position. Q62 crew cut the vehicle out of the trees & brush & the tow truck operator was then able to remove the vehicle.  

Crews were dispatched for a car fire on Kemper Rd. District Chief Rose had command of the incident. Q62 Crew extinguished the fire with no further incident. Crews reloaded equipment & vehicle was towed.

D1, M63 & Q62 were dispatched for an MVA at 501 N. 2nd St. Upon arrival crews found a single car in a rollover type of collision, car was upright. District Chief Rose had command of the incident. Patients were wearing seatbelts but did not have any type of airbag deployment. The driver & passenger were assisted from the vehicle neither had any complaints & did not want to go to the hospital. Q62 crew secured the vehicle & cleaned debris from roadway.

Crews were dispatched for a 2 car MVA on Kemper Rd. Upon arrival crews found 2 cars with moderate damage. One patient was transported to the hospital while another refused any care. Crews were on scene an additional amount of time to disable vehicles & to clean the area.

Crews were dispatched for a MVA at 9420 Loveland Madeira Rd. Crews found a single vehicle that had crashed into the UDF sign causing moderate damage. One patient was transported,  while additional crews were on scene for clean up & disabling the vehicle.

Santa was out last week with LSFD visiting children in Symmes Twp. Santa & LSFD were collecting toys for Toys For Tots. Thank you to everyone who came out & donated a toy.

T61 dispatched for mutual aid into Deerfield Twp for a storage unit fire. T61 was the second unit on scene.  Several units were on fire & crews were able to contain the fire after a couple of hours. A total of 28 units were either damaged or destroyed.

The lecture on Modern Suburban Firefighting given by Captain Bill Gustin of Miami Dade County Florida Fire & Rescue Department was a success. There were 85 local firefighters that came to the 8 hour lecture held at St. 61. Captain Gustin spoke on the ever changing fire service & how fires are a different animal today than they were yesterday. Several areas were covered, strategies & tactics, fireground safety & light weight construction. The day was very entertaining & educational. Everyone at LSFD would like to thank Captain Gustin for sharing his experience & time.

LSFD has acquired a couple of vehicles for shift training on extrication, to develop an understanding and ensure correct operation by LSFD employees on how to operate auto extrication tools found on Rescue 61. There is a classroom portion to this training to go over the specifics of our rescue tools & safety guidelines. Once the classroom lecture is completed crews go through practical scenarios involving stabilization procedures of the vehicles & proper cutting techniques.  

On Saturday November 10th Engine 60, Rescue 61 and Medic 62 were dispatched for a single car rollover involving a pickup truck vs a telephone pole.  District 1 arrived first advising a Ford F150 on its top, with heavy front end damage and victim still in the vehicle.  Also noted was a snapped telephone pole with all wires still suspended in the air.  As Medic 62 arrived we were able to access the pt through the broken driver side window, also able to open the passenger door.  With the unknown stability of the telephone pole and wires, Capt Frye decided to expedite the removal of the pt as the pole and wires were in danger of falling on the vehicle and or the crew.  As we were packaging the pt inside of the vehicle, Rescue 61 arrived and quickly stabilized the truck with chalks and Kodiaks placed at the rear of the vehicle.  We were able to remove the pt on the driver side through the window onto a backboard and immediately left the hot zone to finish assessing the pt and packaging for transport.

On the evening of November 9th Engine 60 and Medic 62 were dispatched for an auto accident vehicle vs bridge, responding units were Car 1, Car 3, Dist 1, Engine 60, Medic 62 and 63.  Car 1 arrived on scene advising 2 car MVA T-Bone type collision with 1 vehicle into the bridge wall all occupants still in vehicles, heavy damage reported.  Initial assessment was there were no entrapments, 1 injury with 2 refusals. EMS crews tended to victims as Engine 60 crew stabilized the vehicles and removed hazards.

LSFD visited the local elementary schools for fire prevention month!  Lt. Money taught the students fire safety skills such as crawl low in smoke, get out and stay out, home fire escape plans, stop drop and roll, and calling 911 for emergencies.  After the safety talks the students were shown the firefighters gear and equipment, then were given prizes for their participation.  Thank you to all the schools for allowing us to teach the students some important fire safety skills!

M63, Q62, R61 were dispatched for an industrial accident in Station 63's district.  Upon arrival units found a person with a nail pinning their finger to a wood pallet.  Crews were able to cut a small section of the pallet off and transport the patient to the hospital. 

This past Sunday LSFD had their breast cancer awareness fundraiser at TGI Friday’s on Fields Ertel. Several LSFD personnel & family members were in attendance. LSFD members helped serve food & took orders while 20% of sales went to charity,raffle tickets were also sold to help raise funds. T61, R61 & M61 were onscene for patrons to look through. A great time was had by all, a special Thank You to everyone at TGI Friday’s we will see you next year.

Dr. Michael Policastro was on hand demonstrating a new video laryngoscope known as the King Vision to Symmes Township Trustees during their monthly meeting. Crews also had the new Symmes Township Braun ambulance on display. Dr. Michael Policastro is also LSFD’s new Chief Medical Officer. Welcome to the team Dr. Policastro we all look forward to working with you.

LSFD monthly shift training is covering crane operation on Rescue 61. Crews will be discussing possible hazards that cone with operating this apparatus. R61 is the heaviest piece of equipment in our fleet, so safety is at the highest priority when handling a rig this big. Topics that are covered truck placement & setting the outriggers, crane loads & hand signals. Crews also went through practical scenario of setting up R61 then loading & moving a 3300 lb block of concrete.

"The Loveland-Symmes Fire Department offers courtesy inspections of Automated External Defibrillators (otherwise known as an AED).  We track the addresses that have an AED so that when someone calls for an ambulance, we can tell them that the location is equipped with an AED.  Even an untrained person can use an AED because it will give you step-by-step directions on exactly what to do.  In fact the goal of any AED is to get emergency care to someone having a heart related issue even before the arrival of an ambulance.  While having an AED is not required, they have proven to save lives!
 
The courtesy inspection we perform happens twice a year.  We will come to the business, school or church to physically turn on the AED, check for normal operation and to see that the pads are not expired.  If we do find issues with the unit, we then notifiy the appropriate property representative so they can have it repaired.
 
If you would like to add your business to our list, please email Captain Tom Benjamin at tbenjamin@safety-center.org

LSFD’s recruit class has just completed its training requirements. Please join me in welcoming them to our department. They all have completed several hours of orientation training. The new class is already filling in on shifts. Congratulations again & welcome to the LSFD family.
 
2012  LSFD Recruit Class 
Michael Saal
Sean Frelock
Scott Reed
Michael Mieczykowski
Jason Brandt
Joe Christie
Adam Gratsch

LSFD sent its color guard to participate at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland. All four members from the Honor Guard were privileged to be "flag presenters".  Every flag that is presented to a surviving family is first flown at the National Fallen Firefighter's Memorial.  Its then painstakingly folded and readied for presentation to a fire chief.  The fire chief then presents it to the surviving family on behalf of the US Fire Service, along with a rose and commemorative badge.

Simply attending the service is an honor, however to be able to participate in such a manner as to be a flag presenter is almost indescribable.  Most survivors don't remember much about the days and weeks after they have lost their loved one.  Remarkably, most seem to remember the honor guard - the attention to detail that is focused directly on the survivors and the fallen firefighter.
Click here to view video.

Chief Huber was honored this past week for his top ten nomination for Career Fire Chief of the Year by Loveland City Hall. There were many friends, family & staff on hand for the ceremony at City Hall. Chief Huber was awarded a Proclamation from the City & awarded a certificate from Fire Chief Magazine.  Please take a second & click on the link below from Fox 19 for video. Great job Chief & congratulations!

LSFD was honored to participate in last week’s Loveland High School homecoming celebrations. Q62 was in the homecoming parade with a few extra passengers, the Loveland Football Teams Senior Class. The Quint also was on hand for the pep rally as well. E63 helped out with the bon fire that took place at the high school. Thank you to Loveland High School & the football team for allowing us to be involved with the homecoming celebration.
Watch Video here

Crews at LSFD are out & performing their monthly training. This month crews are participating in flying standpipe operations. Crews are deploying a horizontal flying standpipe and putting it into operation while another crew will deploy more hose & connect into the flying standpipe. The evolutions are taking place at Phillips Park.

T61 visited the Children’s House Daycare Center in Symmes Twp last week. The crew educated the children on fire safety as well as letting the children look through T61. The children were very enthusiastic and had a lot of questions. LSFD would like to thank the children for allowing us to visit & be a part of their day.

This morning LSFD honored its brothers & sisters lost during the terrorist attack that happened on 9/11/01. Deputy Chief Knapp was the master of ceremonies; our honor guard lowered the flags to half mast & presented a wreath. Father Larry Tensi from Saint Colombian Church offered prayer & Ralph Quisno sang the National Anthem. Thank you to everyone involved & the public who made it out. May we never forget the 343 first responders who perished on 9/11. A special thanks to Evans Landscaping who donated the mulch for the Firefighters Memorial & to EADS Fencing who donated the wreath.

The Honor Guard for LSFD presented the colors at last night’s Reds Game. This is always a huge honor to present the colors before the national anthem. Great Job guys, congratulations on your continued success.

The events of September 11, 2001 made an indelible impression on our hearts as they have forever changed the world in which we live.  The Loveland-Symmes Fire Department has vowed to never forget that day and the lives that were lost.  You are invited to remember with us at a small ceremony to be held at the Loveland Firefighter’s Memorial Park on September 11th starting at 9:00 AM. 
We hope that you will take a moment to reflect with us as we lay a wreath next to the piece of World Trade Center steel.  You are encouraged to bring your own flowers or notes to place at the memorial as well.

Tower 61 and Chief 60-04 responded to a reported multi family dwelling fire at 2085 Cosmos Road in Deerfield Township. Arriving Warren County sheriffs units were reporting a fire with a burn victim. Battalion 56 and Ladder 57 arrived with an obvious working fire on a 1 story apartment building with heavy fire throughout the end unit on sides A/D/C.

Tower 61 arrived & secured a water supply and were then assigned search in the B exposure, with all searches being negative. Chief 60-04 was assigned division C. 3 lines were stretched and operated with no injuries to any firefighters.

On Sunday, October 21 the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department will be having a fundraiser at TGIFriday’s on Fields-Ertel Rd in Symmes Township.  The firefighters will be assisting the servers from 5:30 – 7:30, with TGIFriday’s donating 20% of each sale to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  The firefighters will be wearing pink t-shirts and the servers will all be wearing pink fire helmets in support of this event. 
We will also be selling raffle tickets to the customers and raffling off a variety of door prizes and gift baskets that will be donated by outside businesses.  Last year, we sold over $600 in raffle tickets alone, so this part of our fundraiser was very successful!! 
 
Don’t forget to mark Sunday, October 21 on your calendars to come out with your family to TGIFriday’s on Fields-Ertel Rd. in support of this event!

LSFD will be receiving a 2011 Braun Super Chief Type 1 ambulance built on 2010 Kenworth chassis. It was purchased by Symmes Township to replace an older unit using a trade in which facilitated a significant cost savings. This is a demonstrator unit and is being painted and lettered to match our current fleet.  This unit is expected to be complete in the next week. 

LSFD Participates In 2012 Mudathlon
LSFD members Lt. Brian Hall, Lt. Steve Money, Matt Stickley & John Goecke participated in the 2012 Mudathlon yesterday at the Niederman Family Farm in Liberty Township. Mudathlon is more of a 5k obstacle course than a race. There are 40 obstacles that competitors must negotiate along with a lot of mud. Take some time to take a look at the link below, great job guys!
 
Lt. Brian Hall 1:19:13
Lt. Steve Money 1:34:44
Matt Stickley 1:34:37
John Goecke 1:34:36

C-shift responded to address above for the report of a structure fire. D1 arrived on scene reporting smoke from the roof. The home owners stated that a hot tub inside the house was on fire which had also caught the structure on fire. A quick stop was made on the fire. Overhaul was performed, once the scene was cleared all units went available.
 
 
Units on scene were...Q62, E63, T61, E60, D1, 6001, 6004, E88, T13, T52, M73, ESU62

On 8/10/12 at approximately 14:10, Northeast Communications Center processed a 911 call reporting heavy smoke "pouring" from an apartment building on Sycamore Terrace Drive. Rescue 61 was in the area doing inspections and was onscene within two minutes. The fire was a result of a dryer that had caught fire and filled the entire apartment building with smoke. Crews from the Northeast Fire Collaborative responded to mitigate the situation. No one was injured.

Annually on each firefighters hire date they must perform proficiency testing. Members are tested on the highest certification or apparatus that they operate with. During testing this past week Captain Benjamin took a cool picture of T61 operating.

Friday August 3rd, A-Shift received a call for an injured male near the river. Upon arrival we found him sitting near the bank saying his ankle was broken. Crews quickly realized that getting him up the steep hill to the ambulance would be much safer utilizing ropes. Crews from Rescue-61, Quint-62 assisted Medic-63 with packaging and moving the patient to the ambulance.

District-1: Capt Tom Benjamin
Q-62: FF Dendler, FF Stigall, FF George
R-61: Lt Hall, FF Huber, FF Lackey, FF Lucas
M-63: FF Cotton, FF Jones, FF Czelada
 

 LSFD’s very own Chief Huber is a finalist for Career Fire Chief of the Year by Fire Chief Magazine. Chief is 1 of 10 finalists from all over the country. The winner will be selected by Fire Chief’s editorial advisory board on August 3rd during Fire-Rescue International in Denver, Colorado. Congrats Chief & Good Luck!

On July 14th M60, Q62 & D1 were dispatched for a motor vehicle accident at 9235 Loveland Madeira Rd. Upon arrival crews discovered that a hydrant had been struck, Deputy Chief Dowers had command. Indian Hill water services were dispatched & this portion of Loveland Madeira Rd was shut down. There were no injuries from the accident, once the hydrant was shutdown Loveland Madeira Rd was re-opened.

On July 3rd E-63 was dispatched for mutual aid into Goshen for a reported camper on fire. E63 was first onscene reporting a fully involved camper fire. FF Gregory & FF Czelada made a quick stop on the fire. Goshen E18 arrived onscene to provide additional water and man power. Units on scene were E63, Goshen E18, Harlin Twp. water tanker, Chief 6001.

The Citizens Fire Academy held its graduation on June 26th at station 61. Participants met twice a month for the last 3 months to receive hands on training & to learn what the day to day operations at LSFD is like. Each of the 15 participants received a Certificate of Completion from Chief Huber. Congratulations to all of the CFA members on a job well done. Please take a moment to look at the links below.

This month’s training has crews going over and discussing different hose loads, nozzles & proper operating pressures on our apparatus. Crews will got through an evolution of obtaining a supply line to an engine meanwhile pulling an attack line & having it operate without running out of tank water. Once the water supply has been established a second water supply is set up from the engine to the tower so it will have a water supply for an elevated master stream. This evolution must be completed in a timely manner.

The 2012 Amazing Race was a huge success this past weekend. This is always a big operation for all of us here at LSFD to participate, meanwhile keeping racers safe. Task Force 1 Dive Team was on hand for the safety of the racers in the water stages. Bike Medics were out and about to assist where needed. E14 & ESU was also set up at the VFW hall with 8 hand lines established for participants to fill up the clown’s mouth with water. LSFD members Chris Ellis & Brian Mayer teamed up with their wives to compete as well, congrats on a job well done.  This was a great event & we look forward to next year’s race.

Crews are in the middle of our 2012 hose testing at LSFD. Annually all of the hose in our inventory gets tested at a set pressure for 5 minutes. Hose is then inspected for leaks, bulges or any imperfection that could affect the hose from not performing to our needs.

WORKING CHURCH BUILDING FIRE IN GOSHEN TOWNSHIP
At around 1230 hours on Sunday June 24, Clermont County dispatch alerted Goshen Township (Sta 18 with 2 engines, their tanker, brush, medics, Captain and Chief 18) along with LSFD (Engine 63, Quint 62, Chief 60-01 Huber and Chief 60-04 Goldfeder), Harlan Township (Sta 81 & 82 Tankers and Chiefs), Hamilton Township (Ladder 77 and Tanker 76) and Miami Township (Medic 27) to respond to a reported fire in the building at the Baptist Church on Stumpy Road. Upon arrival, the 18's had fire up in the roof with heavy smoke throughout in a one story church building. All companies were working and operated 3 handlines along with ventlilation making quick work of the fire with no injuries. The fire was started by a discarded cigarette in the front mulch/plants area. Chief 18, Goshen Fire-EMS Chief Steve Pegram (LSFD alumni) had command.
 

LSFD had 3 members from its ranks graduate from the University of Cincinnati’s Paramedic Program this past week. Jake Rose, John Myers & Charlie Dodd completed the year long program with great dedication & a ton of hard work. Between classroom work, clinical time & practical stations these gentleman had a very busy year. Congrats again to these young men on a job well done.

Symmesfest 2012 will take place June 14 – 16 at Symmes Park. If you are looking for something to do with the family and have never been to Symmesfest please come & enjoy the show. Each night there is a local band that plays, with plenty of food booths & games. Kids will definitely enjoy the rides and at the end of the night on Friday & Saturday a fireworks display caps off the evening. Listed below are the dates & times and if you are looking for booth or general information please contact Linda Keeley @ 513-583-3001. See You There!
 
Symmes Park 11313 N. Lebanon Rd. Loveland, Oh 45140
Thursday, June 14th, 6:00 P.M. – 11:00 P.M.
Friday, June 15th, 6:00 P.M. – 11:00 P.M. ~ Hot Wax Performs from 7:00 – 11:00
Saturday, June 16th, 5:00 P.M. – 11:00 P.M. ~ The Webster’s Perform from 7:00 – 11:00

LSFD members Nate Ritchey, Jeremy Saum, John Myers participated in the Greater Cincinnati Regional National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Golf Tournament this past Friday at the Links at Rising Star Casino. Assistant Chief Mike Rupp from Forest Park Fire Department played on our team as well and was a great addition. To kick off the golf outing Oscar Armstrong’s mother spoke along with family members of Robin Broxterman & Brian Schira. Throughout the outing raffle tickets were sold for different items being raffled off along with shirts being purchased & many mulligans were sold, all proceeds went to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

Crews from C shift attended training at Phillips Park.  Evolutions included setting up a 3000 gallon dump tank and drafting techniques when an alternate water source must be established.  The instructor for today’s session was Loveland Symmes Firefighter-Paramedic Bill Adkins.

Q63 was dispatched into Goshen Twp for a structure fire last week. The crew was initially assigned to vent the roof but as they were erecting ladders the fire vented itself through the roof. Command then went from offensive to the defensive strategy & Q63 was assigned to the c-side of the property. Once the property was extinguished & salvage & overhaul was complete crews went available. Please take a look at the links below.

The LSFD Color Guard in cooperation with the HCSO Pipes & Drums opened the dedication ceremony for Symmes Township's new Home of the Brave Park.  Appropriately named for the men & women who have faithfully served this country as well Symmes Township, the park was officially opened to the public.  Sitting on the former Rozzi property, the park has numerous ball fields, a splash park and a gorgeous veteran’s memorial. 

Chris Ellis, his wife Allison and their son Seth competed & raised money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. The event consisted of a  1 mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 pushups, 300 squats and then run 1 mile all completed in 1 hour.  Chris time was 47 minutes, Allison's time 58 minutes. Seth did a modified portion of 10 pushups, 20 sit-ups, Tire jumps, 30 squats and sprint 50 feet over the course of 15 minutes, he did it 6 times & he's only 6 years old.  You can find more information listed in the link below.  The event takes place every year on Memorial Day weekend.  Proceeds go to scholarships for children whose parents were killed or seriously injured in the line of duty.

Loveland-Symmes Fire Department's Citizen's Fire Academy met again this week.  The academy members received detailed instructions on the responsibilities of the engine crew.  The engine crew's primary responsibility is very basic, to secure a sustainable water source and to deliver that water until the fire is suppressed.  Citizen's went over the functions and capabilities of one of the newest engines to the LSFD fleet and even took a short ride in Station 61 first due district.  Academy members really got to get a feel for the awesome power of the various size hose lines from the 1 3/4" attack line to the ground monitor all the way up to the deck gun which flows massive amounts of water!  There were three stations where students were challenged with not only delivering the water to a target, but moving the heavy hose lines without losing control of the nozzle under pressure.  Students had the opportunity to learn about basic firefighting equipment and even got a chance to operate our most valuable and technical peices of equipment in the fleet such as the bucket on the tower ladder and the crane from Rescue 61.  Members of the academy have one more training before they graduate and we are very proud of the group has taken time out of their busy schedules to learn about their fire department. 

Crews will be out in their districts over the course of the next month, servicing & inspecting hydrants. Please keep an eye open for them on the side of the road & moving about around their vehicles. If you notice a hydrant leaking or one that has been damaged please give us a call.