Van Wert Fire Department navigates through busy time

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

It was a busy few days for the Van Wert Department. In fact, it was unusually busy.

Firefighters and EMTs were dispatched to 27 different incidents between 12:01 a.m. Tuesday through 11:59 p.m. Thursday alone, well above the normal amount of calls.

“Our department typically averages five to six calls per day, so this was a noticeably busier stretch than normal,” Fire Chief Jon Jones said.

While 24 of the calls were EMS responses, two others were referred to as “high angle” calls.

“High-angle rescues are not common in Van Wert, so seeing two in one week was unusual,” the chief said. “One came during a mutual aid response to a crash involving a semi truck on U.S. 30. At that scene, our crews provided an ambulance that transported one patient to a Mercy Health trauma center, and used our aerial apparatus to set up a high-angle rescue for the driver of the semi.”

The other high angle call came on Wednesday, when the Van Wert Fire Department was dispatched to rescue a man who was trapped in a garbage truck. The third non-EMS call was for mutual aid at a house fire on Van Wert Willshire Rd.

Chief Jones said on at least six occasions during the three-day period, crews were managing two incidents at the same time, including three instances where a second call came in less than 15 minutes after the first. Calls came in around the clock, with responses logged overnight on each of the three days.

“A full shift at our department is seven personnel and at minimum staffing we operate with five,” he explained. “That means a small crew is often handling back-to-back calls that range from medical emergencies to technical rescues.”

“Handling that range of calls takes preparation,” he continued. “Our members answer a medical call one hour and a building fire the next, and they have to be ready for both without warning. That only happens through continuous training.

Chief Jones noted the fire department has logged more than 4,300 hours of training and gave a breakdown:

• Fire: 2,262 hours
• EMS: 1,327 hours
• Leadership: 337 hours
• Rescue: 225 hours
• Driving: 89 hours
• Hazardous materials: 83 hours

“People sometimes ask why fire training outweighs EMS when most of our calls are medical,” Chief Jones said. “It comes down to repetition. Our crews use their EMS skills every day and each medical call reinforces that training. Fires, rescues, and hazmat incidents happen far less often, so those skills have to be built and maintained through training rather than on the job. When those calls come in, there is no time to relearn a skill, so we practice until the response is automatic.”

“This week’s high-angle rescues are a good example – they are rare, but when they happen, our crews are ready,” he added. “Every call matters equally to us, whether it’s a medical emergency or a building fire, and our training is designed to make sure we’re prepared for all of them. Leadership training matters just as much. On busy days like those we saw this week, our officers are managing multiple incidents at once, and good decisions at the top keep everyone safe.”

Looking back at the busy week, Chief Jones said he’s pleased with the work and efforts of the department.

“I love bragging about this department,” he said.”Every one of those training hours and every one of those calls represents members who show up ready, across all three shifts, day and night. The people of Van Wert are well served, and I’m proud of the work our firefighters do and grateful that I get to work alongside them every day.”