By Katherine Ullmer
Dayton Daily News
BELLBROOK, Ohio — The numbers have been looking good for the Bellbrook Fire Department.
Despite having had 1,115 total calls for service in 2010, 536 of them fire calls, an increase of 19 fire calls from the previous year, the township’s total fire loss in 2010 was just $5,225, according to Fire Chief Scott Hall.
The total property saved was $614,500, he said. This compares with $134,880 in property saved in 2009 and $352,590 in property saved in 2008, he said. The city only had two large loss fires over $1,000 in 2010, one in July, totalling $1,500, on Vemco Drive, and one in August on West Franklin Street, totalling $2,500.
The fire department had 539 EMS calls in 2010, down 10 calls from 2009, he said.
The department is a combination of six full-time and 10 part-time employees, with 18 volunteers. They had 11 new applicants in 2010 and gained six new members, five who had previously been on the department, Hall said.
Eight members resigned, some because of life style changes, such as having a family and other jobs, etc., Hall said.
Getting volunteers, which keeps costs down, has been getting harder and harder as many young people have taken on multiple jobs because of the current economy and/or are working longer hours and have less time to devote to community service, he said.
Firefighters and EMTs all meet for in-house training for three hours every Tuesday night, Hall said. This “saves us a lot of money,” he said. The department also has its own fitness program and new fitness equipment in the downtown fire station. The fire department has a facebook presence under its name and can also be found on the city website at www.cityofbellbrook.org.
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