(5/5) Fairfield Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Fire Chief Bill Jacobs presented considerations for fire standards and department updates to the Liberty Township Board of Supervisors on May 3.
Chief Jacobs pitched fire prevention standards to reiterate the importance of ease of access in backroad communities for first responders.
The department is staunch in proactive planning and always likes to evaluate and take note of suitable ponds for water usage, he said.
"It has to be a good, clear pond for us to suck water out of," Jacobs said.
It is crucial to update addresses to pinpoint water sources because during a structure fire, other company tankers are often tasked with filling tankers while local departments battle the blaze.
Landowners are encouraged to reach out to the township office to update and inform the fire department of ponds that they might not know about that could be pivotal in the event of an emergency.
"We are more than willing to do whatever we can for any resident in our territory," he said.
Dry hydrants are maintained through annual Spring flushing by the fire department, Jacobs said.
Jacobs has noted for years the dangerous development in the back wooded area of the township.
Jacobs asked the township to keep in mind that in the event of an emergency, one lane road areas like Bull Frog Road have no way to loop back and can result in a backlog of apparatus.
There are approximately 95 homes in the forty-five square mile coverage response area that are only accessible by special units, he said.
As fire trucks are eight and a half feet wide, without solid road shoulders, "You are going to get stuck," he said.
Newer, lightweight constructed buildings are also burning at a much faster rate, causing more problems for fire departments, Jacobs said.
"Within about 15 minutes of a fire in a house, you can’t go inside, it is that unsafe," he said.
Reflective signs displayed on a home are also imperative for emergency responders because Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are not reliable for every area, and it is no longer like the days where each resident and individual farm was known personally.
"We don’t anymore. There is too much area for us to know and too many people and we don’t get back in there a whole lot," Jacobs said.
