Rendering of a new firehouse for Historic Downtown
Loveland, Ohio – The City recently promoted a glimpse of what a new fire station will look like that will be built in Historic Downtown. A new Station 63 will be located one block East of the current station.
The current Station 63 firehouse at the intersection of East Loveland Avenue and State Route 48 will be relocated to 220 East Loveland Avenue adjacent to The Trails at East Loveland senior apartment community.
In making the announcement, Loveland-Symmes Fire Department fire Chief Otto Huber said, “I would like to thank the citizens’ working group who helped evaluate the new location. The station will provide much needed safety upgrades for our firefighters and will help us provide service to the community for decades to come.”
The new station will be one-third larger and have two road entry points. One from from O’Bannon Avenue and one from East Loveland Avenue, and features more lot space to maneuver equipment according to City Hall.
The Current Fire Station in Historic Downtown on East Loveland Avenue and State Route 48.
At more than 10,000 square feet, the station will feature two pull-through apparatus bays, one back-in bay, training rooms, ample storage for fire and EMS equipment, full living quarters, office space, and public restrooms. The building will be one story with garage door heights of 14 feet.
The City says that it did not financially, make sense to renovate the existing firehouse and that multiple safety upgrades were needed. “For instance, today’s code would require an elevator to be installed — a huge expense for a building lacking other needed modern amenities. The current station has no pull-through bays, and its intersection location poses challenges.”
“There were many reasons to rebuild the station, but the key reason came back to response time. Having pull-through bays and more access points dramatically can improve crews’ response,” explained Assistant City Manager Cory Wright.
Loveland, Ohio – It was 4-years-ago today that a fire did extensive damage In Historic Downtown Loveland. Below is the story and photos of the fire that were published by Loveland Magazine.
May 28, 2017
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland/Symmes Fire Chief Otto Huber told Loveland Magazine Sunday evening that the structural engineer the City brought in to inspect the buildings damaged by an overnight fire in Loveland’s Historic District said that after a preliminary look, the buildings could be restored. He also told Huber that he had seen building with more damage, brought back to life.
Huber also said that they suspect the fire began because of an electrical problem, and there is one spot that will receive more attention in the coming days as they try to determine how the fire started.
An 11-alarm fire in Downtown Loveland early Sunday morning did extensive damage to two historic buildings, and minor damage to three others. There were no injuries to residential occupants, and only one firefighter suffered a minor injury. One firefighter was treated for exhaustion.
Residents of five apartments on the upper floors have lost everything, including damage to automobiles
The building that housed Tano’s Bistro and the Bishop Building sustained substantial fire damage. Three businesses had extensive damage: Tano’s Bistro, Cincy Fashion Wheels, and Gina Dubell-Smith, a Comey & Shepherd Realtor.
The former Julian’s Deli, now owned by Paxton’s Grill only suffered minor fire damage. The fire sprinklers in the building did not activate. Huber said the heat inside the building wasn’t great enough to activate the sprinklers, but the interior of the building has damage from the water used to keep the fire from spreading. Cleanup was already underway on what will be called, Bike Trail Junction. Co-owner, Kevin Egan said their opening was scheduled in the coming weeks, but the opening will have to be rescheduled.
Narrow Path Brewing Company on Karl Brown Way had roof damage that was being repaired Sunday evening. The business remained closed throughout the day. Another building, further north on Karl Brown Way had newly installed plastic siding, buckle from the heat.
Huber also said that if possible, scaffolding will be erected on the west side of the Bishop Building on Monday. He said it will depend on whether they can get someone to do the work on the Memorial Day Holiday. The scaffolding will be erected to shore up the brick exterior, making it safe to be inside the building where crews could better assess the structural damage, and make it possible for rebuilding to begin.
At 8:30 PM Sunday, a fire crew was still at the scene.
In a press release issued this afternoon by Loveland City Manager, Dave Kennedy, he said, “It is the City’s desire to save these historic structures and will work with the building owners to make this happen. This is a tragic event but the City of Loveland is a very strong community and will work together to repair this part of our downtown. The City of Loveland is thankful that the fire caused no injuries or loss of life and salute the efforts of the City’s first responders.”
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This is a re-print of the 2 stories Loveland Magazine published 3-years ago on May 28 and 29, 2017
Loveland, Ohio– An 11-alarm fire in Downtown Loveland early Sunday morning did extensive damage to two historic buildings, and minor damage to a third. There were no injuries to occupants, and only one firefighter suffered a minor injury. One firefighter was treated for exhaustion.
West Loveland Avenue, Karl Brown Way, and Railroad Avenue remain closed to traffic. There are nearby businesses that remain closed until electrical service is restored.
The former Julian’s Deli, now owned by Paxton Grill, which recently had sprinklers installed on both floors, has slight structural and water damage.
The fire apparently started in the rear of Tanos Bistro at 1:20 AM. Four businesses lost almost everything. Firefighters remain on the scene, and inspectors are assessing damage and looking for cause.
The buildings are close to the street so roadways may be closed for quite some time as inspectors evaluate possible danger to motorists traveling West Loveland Avenue and Karl Brown Way.
EDITOR’S NOTE: A reader has brought to our attention that residents of five apartments lost “everything” in the fire, including damage to automobiles.
The next day on May 29 Loveland Magazine published this up-date. After this story was published more than 1.3 million people read about the fire in Loveland Magazine.
Up-date on major fire in Historic Downtown Loveland
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland/Symmes Fire Chief Otto Huber told Loveland Magazine Sunday evening that the structural engineer the City brought in to inspect the buildings damaged by an overnight fire in Loveland’s Historic District said that after a preliminary look, the buildings could be restored. He also told Huber that he had seen building with more damage, brought back to life.
Huber also said that they suspect the fire began because of an electrical problem, and there is one spot that will receive more attention in the coming days as they try to determine how the fire started.
An 11-alarm fire in Downtown Loveland early Sunday morning did extensive damage to two historic buildings, and minor damage to three others. There were no injuries to residential occupants, and only one firefighter suffered a minor injury. One firefighter was treated for exhaustion.
Residents of five apartments on the upper floors have lost everything, including damage to automobiles
The building that housed Tano’s Bistro and the Bishop Building sustained substantial fire damage. Three businesses had extensive damage: Tano’s Bistro, Cincy Fashion Wheels, and Gina Dubell-Smith, a Comey & Shepherd Realtor.
The former Julian’s Deli, now owned by Paxton’s Grill only suffered minor fire damage. The fire sprinklers in the building did not activate. Huber said the heat inside the building wasn’t great enough to activate the sprinklers, but the interior of the building has damage from the water used to keep the fire from spreading. Cleanup was already underway on what will be called, Bike Trail Junction. Co-owner, Kevin Egan said their opening was scheduled in the coming weeks, but the opening will have to be rescheduled.
Narrow Path Brewing Company on Karl Brown Way had roof damage that was being repaired Sunday evening. The business remained closed throughout the day. Another building, further north on Karl Brown Way had newly installed plastic siding, buckle from the heat.
Huber also said that if possible, scaffolding will be erected on the west side of the Bishop Building on Monday. He said it will depend on whether they can get someone to do the work on the Memorial Day Holiday. The scaffolding will be erected to shore up the brick exterior, making it safe to be inside the building where crews could better assess the structural damage, and make it possible for rebuilding to begin.
At 8:30 PM Sunday, a fire crew was still at the scene.
In a press release issued this afternoon by Loveland City Manager, Dave Kennedy, he said, “It is the City’s desire to save these historic structures and will work with the building owners to make this happen. This is a tragic event but the City of Loveland is a very strong community and will work together to repair this part of our downtown. The City of Loveland is thankful that the fire caused no injuries or loss of life and salute the efforts of the City’s first responders.”
It all started when she was eight years old. Patricia Heffelfinger loved to produce plays with the neighborhood kids in Ridley Park, PA. Her love for theatre continued and she was always encouraged by her late husband Fred Furterer who she married in 1954. She continued performing with the Barnstormers in Ridley Park and then with the Battle Creek Civic Theatre in Michigan.
In 1977 Pat and Fred moved to Loveland. Pat went to audition at another local theatre but couldn’t find the address! She came home and told Fred, “I’m starting a community theatre company in Loveland!” And 40 years and 115 shows later, Loveland Stage Company is an active and vibrant part of the community.
Pat Furterer, founder and President Emeritus of Loveland Stage Company which is celebrating its 40th year and 115th production with “Cole-An Entertainment-The Life and Fabulous Music of Cole Porter” opening Nov. 1. – Provided Photo
The first meeting of the as-yet-unnamed theatre group was in the Furterer’s living room in the Pheasant Hills neighborhood on May 1979. Pat put an ad in the paper inviting anyone interested in starting a community theatre group. Those responding to that first meeting were: Dick and Deirdre Dyson; Betty Rajewski; Kathy and Ron Barrett; Dennis Novak; Roger Goldwire; Steve McGowan; Trish Williams; Diane and “Moldy” Moldenhauer; Kate Camele Arnold; Anne Woolley; John Schneider; Sue Lundy; Sally Housemeyer, Mary Ellen Camele and Kitty Kieffer. Kate Arnold is in the current production of “Cole” and Deirdre Dyson was the artistic director of the most recent production of “Mamma Mia”. Dick Dyson is currently on the board and Sue Lundy and John Schneider are still active members.
After deciding on the group’s name, the first show, “My Three Angels”, was presented in October of 1979 with two shows at the original Loveland Hurst High School on Lebanon road.
The Loveland Kiwanis Club was still active at this time and the two groups joined efforts for a few years. “Bye Bye Birdie” was presented in 1978 and was the final Kiwanis Kaper event.
Pat says the biggest hurdle the group has faced was finding a permanent home. At various times they have performed at the original Loveland Hurst High school, Shields Crossing (a restaurant now closed) Greater Loveland Historical Museum and at Nisbet Park. But they needed a permanent home. They received permission in 1997 from the City of Loveland to have a fundraiser for Loveland Stage company in the abandoned Crist movie theatre with the idea of eventually purchasing the building. “ There were no restrooms and no air conditioning and the building had been inhabited by “critters.” It was a mess” says Pat. The Loveland Fire Fighters Association, a non-profit group, purchased the theatre and leased it to the stage company for $1 a year. After 6 months, they gave the building to the group with certain stipulations. Pat attributes much of this effort to Otto Huber, Assistant Fire Chief at the time, and currently Fire Chief.
October 20, 2008, marked another, and more heartbreaking hurdle. In the early morning hours, a fire started in the upstairs of the theatre and quickly consumed the entire roof. Once again the Loveland Fire Department stepped up and immediately started a fund for repairing the damaged building. Pat remembers friends and neighbors giving her checks for the restoration and especially remembers one little boy who gave her the contents of his piggy bank so the building could be repaired. Peggy Goodwin wrote several grants which also helped with the backing. A campaign to raise funds “Rebuild and Play On” led by Deirdre Dyson helped to bring in necessary funds to get more repair work done. And 13 months later, the curtain opened at the renovated theatre with the Ohio premiere of “Miss Saigon”.
Come and see the group’s 40thyear celebration “Cole – An Entertainment-The Life and Fabulous Music of Cole Porter” November 1-17
Besides founding the group, Pat has held every board office and is currently President Emeritus. She has also done every job necessary to produce a show from directing to producing to publicity to stage manager, etc. but has never done lighting or sound. Those that know Pat think that if the need was there, she would do that too!
Her all-time favorite role to perform was Mame in Bonnie Schanz’s production of “Mame” and her favorite all-time show that she has directed was the group’s first production of “Fiddler on the Roof” in 1986 with Chuck Wente as Tevye and Jeanne Smearsoll Welsh as Golde.
And in case any of you have heard the rumor, Pat says, “Yes, we do have a ghost! Mr. Crist comes to visit on occasion and loves to mess with our lighting equipment!”
Celebrating 40 years of award-winning, quality community theatre, with special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. and Derek Glynne, the Loveland Stage Company will present “Cole-An Entertainment – The Life and Fabulous Music of Cole Porter” opening November 1 through 17.
The Mermaid Theatre’s production is based on the words and music of Cole Porter, devised by Benny Green and Alan Strachan, with original music arrangements by Kenneth Moule.
Come and see the group’s 40th year celebration “Cole – An Entertainment – The Life and Fabulous Music of Cole Porter” November 1-17 at the theatre located at 111 S. 2nd St. (Rt. 48) Loveland, 45140. Performances on Nov. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 and 16 are at 7:30 PM and on Sundays, November 3, 10 and 17 at 3 PM. Tickets are $20. For groups or handicapped seating call 513-443-4572 or visit the webpage at http://lovelandstagecompany.org.
Loveland Magazine photo from the May, 2017 Memorial Day Weekend fire
Loveland, Ohio – At their October 23 meeting, City Council approved a program that would incentivize owners of commercial, office, and industrial structures to retrofit existing buildings with fire sprinkler systems by waiving connection, permit, and inspection fees.
The purpose of this program is to protect structures within the City by offsetting a portion of the expenses related to installing a sprinkler system into an existing building. City Manager David Kennedy said, “Any added fire protection to the City’s commercial, industrial, or office building stock is added safety to the community, it’s occupants, and our firefighters.”
Following the May, 2017 Memorial Day Weekend fire in Historic Downtown that almost destroyed the two affected buildings that did not have sprinklers, City Council waived all fees associated with the installation of sprinkler systems including water connection and inspection fees for the damaged buildings when they were remodeled.
After the fire, Loveland/Symmes Fire Chief, Otto Huber reinforced the importance of sprinkler systems and the need to incentivize more building owners within the Downtown Historic District and the adjacent West Loveland Historic District to retrofit their buildings to include sprinklers. This led to discussions of the feasibility of creating a Fire Sprinkler Installation Assistance Program. At a recent City Council meeting, Huber said that a sprinkler system typically utilize a six-inch water tap/connection which based on the City’s current fee schedule would cost $21,500. Additional city costs include a building permit fee of $210 plus $.63 per square feet. Huber said that these city fees, along with the owner’s installation costs are largely the reason why very few existing buildings are retrofitted with sprinkler systems.
The intent of the proposed program would be to waive city fees for existing commercial, office, and mixed-use structures if approved Fire Sprinkler Systems are installed within the designated area.
The program is not for new construction.
Anyone can apply. To qualify for participation in the assistance program, a completed application is required and submitted to the Office of the City Manager. All applications for participation in the city’s Fire Sprinkler Installation Assistance Program are to be reviewed by a three (3) person panel consisting of the following:
Assistant City Manager
Fire Chief
Chief Building Official (CBO)
Applications will be reviewed based upon the age and condition of the building and its economic contributions to the City. Appeals of the decisions made by the three (3) person panel shall be submitted within forty-five (45) days in a written form to the City Manager.
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The Loveland Safety Service Center was a busy polling location yesterday during the mid-term election.
Cassie Mattia is a resident of Historic Downtown Loveland
Loveland, Ohio– For nearly 20 years, The Loveland Safety Center has been committed to providing the best emergency services to the community of Loveland. Now the local police and fire department are finally being rewarded with much needed renovations to the emergency hub located at 126 South Lebanon Road.
The Loveland Safety Center has been the home to both The Loveland Symmes Fire Department and The Loveland Police Department since 1998. The center has also provided a place for many other local operations such as, The Loveland Mayor’s Court, Loveland’s Emergency Operations Center, a polling location for Hamilton County Board of Elections, many training events and a natural disaster emergency shelter location. In 2004, the roof of the safety center collapsed taking down an entire section of the building. Surprisingly, since the roof collapse there hasn’t been any major repairs made making the employee living and working conditions not compliant with professional standards. Chief of Police, Dennis Sean Rahe, says the renovations are long overdue.
“The repairs to the center are vital to its continued operations. The roof of the Safety Center is a combination of pitched metal and flat membrane. The flat roof portion has not been significantly repaired or replaced in over twenty years and leaks on a regular basis,” Rahe explained, “The water that intrudes into the internal workings of the building continues to cause even more damage. The Center has seven roof mounted heating and ventilation systems that are also more than twenty years old. They require repair several times a year to keep in operation. In addition, the City included several security enhancements after an audit by the Department of Homeland Security.”
The Center has seven roof mounted heating and ventilation systems that are also more than twenty years old.
Chief Rahe joined the Loveland Police Department in 1998 after serving as a Hamilton County Sheriff Deputy for a year.
“After joining the department, I became active in in bike patrol and served as a field training officer. I was promoted to Sergeant in 2007 and Captain in 2010. I was appointed the Chief of Police in 2016. I received a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati, attended the Federal Bureau of Investigations National Academy, and graduated from the Certified Law Enforcement Executive (CLEE) program,” Rahe said.
In 2018, the City of Loveland finally added funding to the budget for significant Safety Center renovations.
“In July 2018 The City of Loveland secured the architect services of McGill Smith Punshon to design the necessary repairs. Major repairs are needed on the heating and ventilation system, roof, and parking lot. The project also includes construction to bring Safety Center prisoner processing, evidence, armory, and employee living and working conditions into compliance with professional standards. Finally, lighting and security enhancements are planned for the campus,” Rahe said.
The Loveland City Council approved a bond for up to 1.35 million dollars to complete all the repairs to the Safety Center. In addition, The City of Loveland and The Loveland Symmes Fire Department applied for a FEMA grant for the Safety Center project.
According to Chief Rahe the benefits of the project are endless.
“The entire Loveland community will benefit from these repairs. Although the City team members use the facility the most, the Safety Center is used for a variety of public community events,” Rahe shared, “It is the primary method the community members use to interact with the Loveland Police and Loveland Symmes Fire Department administration offices. The three primary repairs to the heating and ventilation, roof, and concrete will ensure our community can park at the Center, have heat and air conditioning, and a roof that is not leaking on them. The security enhancements will ensure the safe and continued operations of the facility. Finally, the lighting efficiency enhancements will save the community money in operating costs,” Rahe said.
Not only will the upgrades to the Loveland Safety Center naturally make the building safer for the employees working inside, but it will also allow law enforcement and emergency responders to exceed the Loveland community’s needs and expectations.
“We are proactively looking forward to our community’s emergency service needs for the next twenty years. Law enforcement is being asked to provide more services than ever, to do some quickly, professionally, and cost effectively. LPD is continuously looking for ways to meet, and exceed, our growing community’s needs,” Rahe explained, “Twenty years ago the Loveland Police Department held prisoners at the Safety Center, processed their own evidence, and did not have any need for an armory. Today, LPD no longer keeps arrested persons at the Safety Center, we never process evidence (that is transported to a State of Ohio crime lab,) and we now train with a wide variety of tools, equipment, and evidence, each which have specific storage needs.”
Loveland Symmes Fire Chief, Otto Huber, also weighed in on the Safety Center renovations and how excited both the police and fire department are about the upgrades.
As we move forward to upgrading the building to meet the needs of both agencies today and into the future we are excited about continuing to share the facility with the Loveland Police.
“Twenty years ago, the Police and Fire Departments merged their operations under one roof. At that time, the Police Department was in City Hall and the Current Fire Station on Lebanon Road needed to be replaced,” Huber said, “A committee of police officers and firefighters met for several months to design the current Safety Center. Several meetings were held with the public on the location and design of the facility. At that time, the public and the Council chose the current location and design from three different options. For the Fire Department, it has been a great experience being alongside our counter parts in the Police Department. As we move forward to upgrading the building to meet the needs of both agencies today and into the future we are excited about continuing to share the facility with the Loveland Police.“
The Loveland Safety Center renovations are expected to be completed in the summer of 2019. If you would like to explore the world of the Loveland Police Department or the Fire Department you can visit Loveland Ohio Police Department or Loveland Symmes Fire Department on Facebook.
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Loveland, Ohio, Members of the Loveland Symmes Fire Department will take to the streets on April 14th from 8:30 AM until noon to raise funds for the Firefighter Cancer Support Network.
Chief Otto Huber said, “I am very proud of our staff as they recognize the growing cancer problem within the fire service and step up to be part of the solution”
Firefighters across the country are being diagnosed with work related cancers every day. The chemicals that firefighters are exposed to in today’s fire related emergencies far exceed anything that we have seen in the industry in the past 50 years. The State of Ohio has recently passed cancer presumption legislation to assist firefighters with receiving the care they need and deserve.
Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder, a board member of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation said “We have a long way to go in changing the landscape of protecting our firefighters to the exposure they receive on the fire ground. Our department is up to the challenge and are making great strides every day to better serve and protect our members.”
During the fill a boot drive the Loveland and Symmes communities will see the firefighters along main roads.
Please be generous as we work toward keeping our firefighters healthy so that they may be prepared to serve you better. If you would like to donate you may stop at any of our 4 fire stations or call 513-583- 3001.
If you would like more information about this topic contact Captain Bruce Hawk at 513-707-6110 or email at bhawk@lsfd.org.
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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.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Please excuse the quality of our recent video work from the Loveland City Hall council chamber. After the City recently hired a Public Information Officer (PIO), LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV, USA-Today videographers, and Cincinnati Area TV stations have been put into a small corral to one side of the room, and the podium was placed so that when the public rises to speak, they have their backs toward the audience and our camera. We have talked to the PIO, City Manager and the Clerk of Council about how this arrangement significantly degrades our video, “The old set-up allowed a video camera to swing back and forth between those at the podium and the council table. That arrangement had been used for decades.”
Our plea has fallen on deaf ears. The PIO, however, did respond saying, “Unfortunately, the arrangement of the media area will not be moved to accommodate better angles at this time.”
So, for the time being, LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV is forced to show butts instead of faces, except when Councilwoman Pam Gross uses the podium. (See this recent video)
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Loveland, Ohio – At the June 13 Council meeting, Loveland-Symmes Fire Chief Otto Huber presented lifesaving awards to Captain Brian Hall, Paramedic Nick Gehring, EMT Dustin Freeze, Firefighter Brian Webb, and Firefighter John Cooper. The Fire Department Medal of Merit was presented to dispatchers Alicia Jim and Aaron Burg.
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Loveland, Ohio – Below you can read the resolution passed by a 7-0 vote at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. There was no discussion during the meeting about the proposal.
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