The Truro Township Fire Department was
established in April, 1937, and its first Fire Chief was Vinton H. Raymer.
Since the department initially had no firehouse, Chief Raymer's garage became a
temporary firehouse. In May, 1938 the township broke ground for the first
firehouse on Main Street, across from State Route 256 and Connell's
Hardware. The cost of the building was financed strictly from donations,
while the Gail Landrum Construction Company donated the bricks. For the
first fire station, the township purchased a new
220-volt siren,
which alerted firemen living two to three miles away of a fire or
emergency.
The department's first piece of firefighting equipment
was a 99 horsepower truck capable of discharging 500 gallons of water a minute.
In 1940, the Truro Township trustees
purchased
one of the first resuscitators in Franklin County at a cost of $439. It was
used for respiratory emergencies such as drowning, gas poisoning, and heart
attack.
In 1942, John Cobel became the
township's second Fire
Chief. He installed a new alerting system, which entailed the installation
of phones in the firehouse, in Chief Cobel's home, and in the funeral home
across the street from the firehouse. During the day, the township
depended on the funeral home to answer the fire phone, while at night Chief
Cobel or his wife took fire calls at home. On weekends, firemen on duty at
the firehouse answered the calls.
In 1947, the Fire Department increased its
ability to serve the growing community by building a new firehouse twice
the size of the older one. The department also purchased a new 1947
International pumper truck that discharged 500 gallons of water a minute and acquired its first emergency
squad vehicle.
In 1959, the township built its second fire
station, located on Brice Road in the Village of Brice. The new station
provided better protection for residents living in the township's southwest corner.
The department acquired a new 1962 Ford pumper capable of
discharging 750 gallons a minute. In 1963, the township purchased a GMC emergency squad
vehicle.
In 1964, John Knight was appointed the township's
third Fire Chief. During his administration the department purchased new
helmets, boots, and canvas fire coats for all the firemen. Up until that
time, the firemen wore old rubber coats used when the fire department
was first established.
In 1966, the department purchased a Mack fire
truck for $35,000 with pump capacity of 1,000 gallons a minute. The
township also updated its alerting system. Each volunteer fireman wore a radio,
which alerted them to a fire or emergency.
In 1970, six full-time firemen were hired at
$7,200 a year, the department's first full-time employees. By this time,
the township required all firemen to complete a 60-hour training course. By 1974, the staff had
increased to 12 full-time employees.
In 1975, the township built its present fire station at
6900 E. Main Street. At the time, it was the largest station in Central Ohio. In
1976, the staff again increased to 18 employees, which included the Chief.
Over the years, the township
implemented many improvements within the
department, including the remodeling of station facilities into more
functional facilities, and the acquisition of additional specialty equipment, such as
a rescue van and a water rescue and recovery trailer. The township has
also updated its advanced mobile
medical units and policies affecting medical personnel, and has provided
extensive emergency training programs and
pay incentives for EMT employees receiving certifications. The township
has upgraded its hiring procedures by employing only certified paramedics, and
requiring
entrance exams and eligibility tests.
© 2000 Truro Township, Ohio
