By Jill Kelley
The Dayton Daily News
CENTERVILLE, Ohio — The Washington Twp. Fire Department now has 24-hour ambulance crews stationed to the north, the south and in the middle of the township.
In June, the department, which serves Centerville and Washington Twp., added its first combination engine/medic crew at centrally located Station 41, 163 Maple Ave., according to Fire Chief Bill Gaul.
Gaul said this newest round-the-clock team backs up the north and south crews, which often run on concurrent calls.
“If the north (crew) is out on a scene, the south would have to travel pretty far (to back them up),” he said. “The central crew is strategically located to back up both.”
Gaul said in its three months on the job, the crew already has been a positive addition to the fleet, citing an overnight fire at an apartment complex and a cardiac arrest patient among its weekend calls.
“The crew was rapidly on the scene, and it did make a difference,” he said.
Rich Palmer, public information and safety education officer, said there has been an overall improvement in emergency response time, which is the goal.
“They kind of anticipate each other’s actions,” Palmer said of the crews. “So far, so good.”
Gaul said the department typically sees 16 fire and medical runs per day, and the number of calls per year has grown between 3 percent and 10 percent each year for 20 years.
In 2004, there were 4,933 runs; in 2009, that number was up to 5,903. As of last week, the department had gone on 4,054 runs in 2010.
Palmer said 80 percent of the calls are medical.
“It is due to the graying of America, the graying of our community and nationwide health issues,” said Palmer, adding that the township has seven large retirement communities. “Our community is larger, and we’re growing older.”
The other 24-hour crews are at Station 43, 10499 Dayton-Lebanon Pike, and Station 44, 6690 Centerville-Business Parkway.
The department also has Station 42, 45 W. Whipp Road, and Station 45 at 8328 McEwen Road.
Gaul said all stations are staffed at all hours.
“I think this thing has been a big success,” Gaul said of the addition. “It is really working well.”
Copyright 2010 Dayton Newspapers, Inc.