By: Jacob Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
The Wauseon City Fire Department continues to serve its community in every way possible. To ensure the continuation of this service, and to try and improve on that service, the department has been working on obtaining several grants.
Some of these grants include a Mental Health and Well-Being Grant for $60,000.00 and the Assistance to Firefighter Grant for $110,000.00.
Other grants are also being looked into, with each of these grants providing money to the department that will help to better existing services and bring in new ones.
Chief Phil Kessler also explained that the Wauseon Fire Department has continued to work with local schools.
“It is important to meet their needs. We cover three schools and each of them are unique with their needs. Our people work with them regularly to ensure that were available to them.”
Emergency preparedness is one of those things that continues to get worked on with Wauseon, Pettisville and New Horizons Schools.
The department has also kept its sights on the continued health and safety of its members. Firefighters at Wauseon have access to an app that allows them to stay up to date with relaxation and ways they can cope with what they see on the street. A new exhaust extrication system has also been looked into and will be purchased for the bays.
This system removes exhaust fumes from the air when operating trucks indoors as they are preparing for calls.
“This brings more modern standards to the station and keeps employees healthy in the long term to ensure they make it to retirement.”
“We want to put health, well-being and preventative measures in now to ensure a healthy life and career here,” said Chief Kessler.
The chief also explained that Wauseon, like most other departments, has been experiencing an increase in call volume since COVID ended. “The stations have been very busy, but the staff has been doing well.”
“Calls are picking up now post COVID and the community seems to be getting back to normal. Our staff has also been getting out in the public when they aren’t on runs,” said Chief Kessler.
Jacob can be reached at
jacob@thevillagereporter.com