LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

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Since 2004

Tag: Fire Chief

  • Loveland, Ohio Fire Chief Otto J. Huber appointed to international fire accreditation association

    Loveland, Ohio Fire Chief Otto J. Huber appointed to international fire accreditation association

    by Billy Goldfeder, Deputy Chief of Loveland-Symmes Fire Department

    Fire Chief Otto J Huber (2020 file photo)

    We are pleased to announce that Fire Chief Otto J. Huber of the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department has been appointed as a Commissioner on the Commission on Fire Accreditation International.

    The Board of Directors of the Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc. (CPSE) has confirmed his appointment as Commissioner on the Commission on Fire Accreditation (CFAI). He will represent accredited fire service agencies serving populations between 25,000 and 99,999. Chief Huber’s name was among several proposed to represent the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). Chief Huber’s term of appointment is for three years beginning on July 1, 2022 and ending on June 30, 2025.

    The Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) provides an assessment tool to determine when a fire department has achieved an appropriate level of professional performance and efficiency. The CFAI has been providing this service since 1988 when it was created by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA). In 1996, the CFAI became a trust organization in cooperation with the IAFC and ICMA, and in 2001, the CFAI incorporated to create a unique standalone organization. The cooperation among all three organizations remains excellent.

    The mission of the CFAI is to “assist the fire and emergency service agencies throughout the world in achieving excellence through self-assessment and accreditation in order to provide continuous quality improvement and the enhancement of service delivery to their communities.” The accreditation program provides an in-depth process of self-assessment for fire departments, granting accreditation to organizations that successfully complete the assessment process and an on-site evaluation by their peers.

    Chief Otto J Huber has been with the Loveland-Symmes FD since 1976. He is a certified Ohio Fire Executive, Fire Command Officer as well as a cedentialed Chief Fire Officer. LSFD is an ISO Class 1, CPSE/CFAI fire accredited agency as well as an accredited EMS agency by the Commission on Ambulance Accreditation.

  • Symmes Township Fire Department Achieves ISO 1 Classification

    Symmes Township Fire Department Achieves ISO 1 Classification

    Phil Beck, Jodie Leis, and Ken Bryant

    Symmes Township, Ohio – The Symmes Township Trustees (pictured above placing the new ISO classification placard on their 100’ Sutphen platform) announced to residents the improved ISO 1 classification for their community.

    Symmes Township provides fire, rescue, and emergency medical services through a joint fire service agreement with the neighboring City of Loveland. The Loveland-Symmes Fire Department (LSFD) provides this service as a career fire and EMS department operating from four (4) stations strategically located throughout the township and the city.

    Symmes Township Trustee President Ken Bryant (Provided Photo)

    The LSFD is dual accredited nationally through the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) and the Commission on Ambulance Accreditation (CAAS).

    Symmes Township Trustee President Ken Bryant stated, “We are incredibly proud of the LSFD for working so hard over many years to accomplish this goal. Our Loveland-Symmes firefighters and paramedics work tirelessly to save lives and property and to keep our residents, businesses, and visitors safe and are an integral part of our township.

    Mrs. Jodi Leis said, “It is our firefighters’ proactive involvement in nearly every aspect of our community that helps make Symmes Township a great place to live, work and play.”

    Symmes Township Trustee Jodi Leis (Provided Photo)

    “This accomplishment was only possible because of the work of our dedicated staff, the support and guidance of our elected officials, and the continued support of our residents.” stated Fire Chief Otto J. Huber. “The mission of the LSFD is to provide the most technologically advanced fire and EMS with the highest trained professionals, and to deliver that service to our residents with loyalty and compassion. Our members live that mission every day” the Chief added.

    Trustee Phil Beck said “As elected officials, we take the responsibility of providing emergency services to the residents as our highest priority. This improvement in our fire department’s rating brings added value to our residents which is the benchmark we try to achieve when making decisions on our residents’ safety and spending their tax dollars.”

    ISO is an independent organization that evaluates fire protection efforts in communities across the country. The organization collects information on communities and analyzes the data using its Fire Suppression Rating Schedule.

    This Fire Suppression Rating Schedule evaluates four primary categories of fire suppression – fire department, emergency communications, water supply, and community risk reduction. Fire services are ranked between 1 and 10.

    The Class 1 ISO rating will rank the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department as one of only 383 Fire Departments in the U.S. that are ISO 1 classified. To ensure the best is serving their community, LSFD’s chief fire officers and captains also hold credentials in their capacities through the Commission on Professional Credentialing (CPSE), the Ohio Fire Chiefs Foundation Executive Leadership Program, the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program, as well as, related professional leadership training and fire command certification programs.

    Township Administrator Kim Lapensee stated, “Building strong relationships with our neighbors along with our township’s strong efforts to manage with strategic planning while maintaining fiscal reasonability to the taxpayers shows how grassroots township government can and does work for the people.”

    Story from the Symmes Township monthly newsletter

  • 5 communities group-purchase ambulances

    5 communities group-purchase ambulances

    The Cities of Blue Ash, Loveland, Sharonville, Mason and Symmes Township joined forces to purchase replacement ambulances for each community. Through their combined organization known as the Northeast Fire Collaborative (NEFC) these communities look for ways to: “Improve service, enhance training and save tax dollars on group purchasing.”

    “Recently we received a regional grant for new self-contained breathing apparatus. This grant was worth nearly eight hundred thousand dollars.” – Chief Kirk Mousa

     

    Together these five communities developed a single ambulance specification that provides for commonality of patient compartment configuration. “This type cooperation allows for maximum savings through multi-unit discounts” said acting Fire Chief Bryan Brumagen, City of Mason Fire Department.

    “The NEFC has been cooperating now for 10 years” said Fire Chief Rick Brown with the City of Blue Ash Fire Department. “Just last year the group came together for the construction of a Fire Training Tower that is shared by the NEFC as well as other regional partners.”

    The ambulances that were purchased went in service just this past month. “These units replace aging equipment and were part of each community’s capital fleet replacement schedule” said Fire Chief Otto Huber with the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department.

    “Our collaborative looks for ways to apply for grants to improve service” said Fire Chief Kirk Mousa of the City of Sharonville Fire Department. “Recently we received a regional grant for new self-contained breathing apparatus. This grant was worth nearly eight hundred thousand dollars.”

    “The fire collaborative that was started in 2008, following the great recession, has proved to be a worthy endeavor for our communities. It improves service for all our communities and provides for improved training and equipment for our firefighters” said Dave Kennedy, City Manager for the City of Loveland.