By Warren Dillaway
Star Beacon
ROME, Ohio — Water was flowing freely Saturday as representatives of more than a dozen northeast Ohio fire companies learned new ways to move water while fighting a fire.
More than 50 firefighters attended the event, which took place at Rome Township Hall with volunteer and career fire departments represented.
It was sponsored by the Ohio State Fire Chief’s Association, in conjunction with the Ohio State Firefighters Association, said Ed Koziol, a representative of the OSFC assisting with events around the state. Koziol also serves as Rome Township fire chief.
Fire chiefs said training in previous years helped firefighters in September when a large barn fire broke out at Comp Dairy Farm in Dorset.
Orwell Fire Chief Scott Merlino said the water movement techniques, and the opportunity to work together in training, made things run much more smoothly at the Comp fire. He said the training ensured there was less chaos.
“We try to train together to get so we know each other’s trucks and personnel,” Merlino said.
Saturday’s training consisted of inside seminars and outside work on moving water.
“We try to find the best practices for water supply [movement],” Jim Delman, who was helping instruct the firefighters, said. He said the people running the seminar are not telling departments how to run their water movement, but trying to help everyone learn.
The firefighters worked on drills in multiple areas of firefighting in the morning, then broke for lunch and a seminar before heading back to their trucks in the afternoon.
Koziol instructed participants, suggesting they dump water off the driver’s side to help make sure no passing vehicles are damaged.
“We have a good combination of volunteer and career departments,” Koziol said. Participants included the Thompson, Chester, Morgan, Mesopotamia, Wayne, Trumbull, Orwell, Rome, Chardon and Gates Mills fire departments.
Koziol serves on a state-wide committee for the OFCA, and conducts similar seminars with other organizational leaders throughout the state.
Bill Houk conducted a seminar on emergency preparedness. Koziol said the plan reviews potential emergencies that would spread over a wider area than one county.
The drills also included the application of firefighting foam and other firefighting skills. Houk offered to come back to the area for further training or provide a Zoom session if there is interest.
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