Fire
Fire Division News
11/7/2008 Xenia Firefighters complete 2008 Fire Safety Show Tour: Over the past month 8 Xenia firefighters have been busy bringing life back to one of our most popular public outreach programs. After a six-year hiatus the Fire Division’s Fire Prevention Show was back. From October 27 thru November 7 each day the cast and crew of “Toy Story 2” traveled to 10 schools to deliver essential messages about fire safety. Based partly on the “Toy Story” movies, the high-energy show features seven on-stage firefighters-turned-actors, including Jeff Bruggeman as "Buzz Firegear", John Baise as “Woody”, Mike Staub and Dave Mills as "Rock’em and Sock’em", Tom Norris as “Sarge”, Eric Swanson as "Raggedy Andy", John Norckauer as “Sparky the Fire Dog”, and Doug Cope provided the sound and special effects. In the story, written by Lieutenant Jeff Bruggeman, the toys come to life to teach their fellow toys and the audience about fire safety. Topics covered in this year’s school safety program included to crawl low in smoke; stop, drop and roll; the importance of keeping fresh batteries in your smoke detectors; not to play with matches and lighters; and to have a fire escape plan for each room in the house.
The Fire Division would like to thank Buzz, Woody, Rock’em, Sock’em, Sarge, Andy, Sparky and DJ Doug for all their hard work in writing the story, design and construction of the set, and the time spent in all the practices and performances.
5/1/2008 Xenia Fire Division rescues 2 students from CSU dormitory fire: At 06:10 a.m., the City of Xenia Fire Division was requested to provide mutual aid for a structure fire at Hunter Hall on the campus of Central State University. Xenia City fire units arrived along with Xenia Township to find a four-story, occupied dormitory with heavy smoke showing from the third and fourth floors. XFD personnel immediately initiated search and rescue operations; simultaneously several students jumped from an upper floor window, while other students were being rescued by portable extension ladders. The crew from XFD Ladder 31 found 2 students trapped by smoke and fire on the fourth floor, while firefighters were attempting to remove the victims from the building, their escape route was blocked by heavy heat and smoke. Ladder 31’s crew and the two victims moved into a dormitory room where they could “shelter in place” and await rescue. A portable ladder was raised to the window and the three firefighters and two victims were safely removed from the building. XFD firefighters along with firefighters from Xenia Township, Cedarville, Fairborn, Beavercreek, and Silvercreek continued to conduct search and rescue operations on all four floors of the building. The fire, which was located on the third floor, was extinguished and crews remained on scene for several hours conducting overhaul and assisting fire investigators, including 11 XFD personnel. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
4/9/08 Xenia Fire Division Medical Director wins “Volunteer of the Year Award”: On Wednesday, April 9, 2008, the City of Xenia held its annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner. More than 100 people were recognized for their volunteer service to the City of Xenia in 2007. Xenia Fire Division’s Medical Director Dr. Roger Pacholka, M.D., was awarded the” Volunteer of the Year” award by Mayor Phyllis Pennewitt. Dr. Pacholka serves as an emergency room physician at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, and for almost 10 years he has volunteered as the Xenia Fire Division’s medical director. The medical director is responsible for the training and education of all of Xenia’s 41 EMS providers and also reviews their run reports and policies and procedures. Through Dr. Pacholka’s guidance, Xenia’s paramedics have gained an excellent reputation of being one of the most progressive EMS providers in the region. Dr. Pacholka has donated hundreds of hours to the training and management of Xenia’s EMS programs and often rides with the paramedics to calls as well. In addition to his duties as an emergency room physician and our medical director, Dr. Pacholka and his wife Kathy travel several times a year to Africa where they do medical missionary trips to help establish medical care for villages that have no medical provisions. In receiving his award Dr. Pacholka was, as always, very humble when he gave all the praise to the members of the fire division saying, “Volunteerism means that you don’t get paid, but I have been paid many, many times over by the fire division with their love, concern, prayers and brotherhood and sisterhood”. On behalf of all the Xenia firefighters, we thank Dr. Pacholka for his service to the Xenia Fire Division.
4/9/08 Xenia Firefighters attend Colerain Firefighters Funeral: On Friday, April 4, 2008, Colerain Township, Ohio, Fire Captain Robin Broxterman and Firefighter Brian Schira were killed in the line of duty while battling a house fire. Members of the Xenia Fire Division along with more than 8,000 others attended their funeral in Cincinnati. On behalf of the Xenia Fire Division, our thoughts and prayers are with the Broxterman and Schira families during this difficult time. For more information, check out the Colerain Township Fire Department's website at http://www.coleraintwp.org/fire.cfm.
4/1/08 Xenia Paramedics recognized: Xenia paramedics Brian Brennaman, Adam Coblentz, Doug Fair, Travis Hermann and Spencer Robb will be recognized on May 10, 2008, during the annual EMS Star of Life Awards Dinner. The five paramedics were on duty when they were dispatched for a female assaulted. Upon arrival paramedics found a female patient who had suffered a severe laceration to her neck, threatening her ability to breathe. Paramedics conducted a field tracheotomy, inserting a breathing tube thru the laceration and into her airway. This highly technical, life saving measure insured the patient was able to breathe as she was transported to Miami Valley Hospital for surgery. The emergency room trauma physicians at Miami Valley Hospital nominated the Xenia paramedics for this year’s award; although their nomination was not chosen for the 2008 EMS Star of Life, they will still be recognized for their efforts.
3/21/08 Firefighters rescue Xenia resident from house fire: On Friday, March 21, around 2:10 p.m., the Xenia Fire Division "C" Shift was dispatched for a reported house fire on Rader Street. While responding, the 911 dispatchers advised that a resident of the home was believed to be trapped inside. Upon arrival of Fire Chief Leaming, heavy smoke was visible from the front of the home and several neighbors were attempting to enter the home to rescue the trapped occupant. Engine and Ladder 31 arrived seconds later from the Main Street fire station and initiated an aggressive fire attack and search for the missing occupant. Firefighters entered through a bedroom window where the missing occupant was supposed to be located. Firefighters quickly found a female resident unconscious in the bedroom. Firefighters removed the resident from the home to a waiting medic unit. Firefighters continued to operate inside the home ventilating the smoke and extinguishing the fire. Xenia paramedics transported the resident to Greene Memorial Hospital where she was stabilized and then transferred to Miami Valley Hospital. Cedarville and Xenia Township Fire Departments assisted on scene as well as officers from the Xenia Police Division and investigators from the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office. The fire cause was ruled accidental and appears to have started in the kitchen. No working smoke detectors were found in the home. The Xenia Fire Division wants to remind everyone the importance of a working smoke detector. For more information about smoke detectors, click here.