Pleasant Township has two fire engines, two medics, one tanker, a fire grass truck and a rescue boat. Now they have a place to store it without clutter.
"This project started back in September of last year but it seemed like it took a very long time," said Pleasant Township Fire Chief Jay Noojin.
At the Jan. 8 Pleasant Township Board of Trustees meeting, Noojin announced the completion of the new addition to the fire station.
"I love it," said Noojin. "It has been a blessing. The board has been very good to me in listening to and approving my concerns for the station."
He said with the old building, the room between where the two medics were, often resulted in accidents.
"Sometimes they would back up into each other."
Noojin added that as fire trucks got bigger, the old building’s doors were not meeting the standard and therefore caused a few bumping accidents.
"We had 12×12 doors, and the ones on the new addition are 14×14," he said. "That’s two feet more for maneuverability, which is huge."
Before the new building became usable, vehicles (such as the rescue boat and the fire grass truck) were stored outside in an area that the road department uses for their own equipment.
"They would have to leave their dump trucks sitting outside, and now that gives them a place to work also," Noojin said.
They are also planning to use extra space to build two rooms, one for the storage of the uniforms and gear so they would be protected from diesel fuel and the other for a clean area.
"It’s basically for self contained breathing apparatuses," said Noojin. "We have to have a clean environment to work on the regulators. We can’t do it in the kitchen area anymore."
Chairman Keith Goldhardt said the new addition was build to meet federal standards.
"It had to be big enough to be a safe haven in case there are disasters," he explained.
The expense of the new wing was estimated at $275,000.
In other news
•When there is a firefighting position open, the fire department likes to keep it in house.
"We always hire full-timers from the part-time list," said Noojin. "That is so we can pick someone that we already know does a good job."
After a three-month-long hiring and review process, the board and the fire department officially swore in Matthew Zeuschner as a full-time firefighter.
"I’ve been working here part-time for three years," said Zeuschner.
Noojin added that they choose Zeuschner to fill the full-time position because of his work ethic.
"Matt is a hard worker who really knows the job," he said. "Ninety percent of the business is EMS, and you have to pull him off the medic. He just really enjoys doing his job."
The PTFD currently has three full-time firefighters on each of the three shifts.
•Lee Brown, planning director for the Franklin County Development Department was on hand at the meeting to recognize one of the Pleasant Township Trustees.
"I am here to present Walter Krebs with a certificate of appreciation for his work on the Franklin County Zoning Commission," said Brown.
He added that everyone knows of and is thankful for his dedication to his work on the commission and all that he has done.
Krebs was on the zoning commission for 8 years.
