The Jerusalem Township Volunteer Fire
Department started serving the community in 1944 and is now celebrating 75
years.
In 1949, the department was officially
incorporated by the State of Ohio and has since become The Jerusalem Township
Fire Department.
As Chief Tony Parasiliti looks back on
the changes and advances in the department over the years, he recalls a number
of changes in tactics. Over time, we have learned that fire needs three things
to burn: heat, fuel, and oxygen. When Parasiliti started at the department over
35 years ago, they were told to open the house to let out the heat and smoke.
Now the department is told to close up the house as much as possible and
deprive the fire of oxygen.
When he first started, firefighters
would use a high pressure hose nozzle to spray directly onto the fire. Whereas
now, they spray the ceiling causing the droplets of water to come down while
covering a broader surface area to create a greater cooling effect. Then the
firefighters can enter the building.
There are three levels of certification
that firefighters and volunteer firefighters go through that add up to over 400
hours of schooling and training. During all this, volunteers are working
regular jobs and attending their classes generally in the evening. After
classes are done, they all have a school test to take and a national test to
take.
For emergency medical technicians
(EMTs), the training is slightly less vigorous. EMT training is automatically
around 170 hours. Then they have to take a state national registry test to be
complete in order to get a state certification and a national registry
certification as well. On top of all this training, schooling, and testing, the
department holds drills every Wednesday, skipping a week here or there for
holidays.
Despite receiving certifications,
advances in technology and methods are constantly being introduced, so
firefighters and EMS personnel are never done learning and adapting.
“I always enjoy talking to the kids at
the schools,” Parasiliti said, “I try to explain to them that you’re having
education now and then you’ll have a summer vacation then you start up again.
Well, for firefighters or EMTs it’s just ongoing, it doesn’t stop.”
When the hype settles…
The fire department is not limited to
stopping fires. In fact, the Chief recalls some of his more rewarding calls to
not involve a fire at all.
One case was when the department got a
call for an OB delivery where the mother had delivered her child by herself in
her bathroom. Parasiliti felt proud to take part in that experience and to know
that the training and education that they all go through was utilized and led
to a successful call.
Another memorable call was one they
received for a woman who was 100-years-old. This woman had a minor tear of skin
and couldn’t communicate well due to her age and other deficiencies. This was
particularly unforgettable because her family told them that she had played the
organ and piano at the Valentine Theater during the time of silent movies.
While these are happy stories, the
department faces many challenging rescues all the time — such as auto
accidents.
When the hype of the call settles,
after victims have been rushed off, after the rescue squads have done
everything by the book and followed their training, rescuers are able to stand
back and really take in the gravity of the scene.
After a head-on collision, the Chief
recalls a scene where the engine block of a vehicle had ripped itself from the
frame and rolled around a hundred yards down the road.
“Now, can you imagine the force and
energy it takes to rip that out and have that amount of metal rolling down the
road?” Parasiliti said.
Of the 265 square miles that is the
Jerusalem Township, 235 square miles is occupied by bodies of water ranging
from creeks to Lake Erie. There is a certain amount of responsibility that the
department has when it comes to water rescues and flooding. Therefore, they
have six qualified divers to dive under ice should that be necessary. The
department has a number of different watercraft meant for water and ice
rescue.
There was a large ice rescue call that
came in with a report of 500 persons on the ice when it started to break. After
people noticed the breaking, a number of citizens got off the ice on their own,
but for those who didn’t, the department spent eight hours of the day using
helicopters and boats to shuttle 134 persons off the water.
In preparation for impending flooding,
the department plans on meeting with the board of trustees to prepare more
sandbags to go with the stash they already have available.
Due to the complexity with emotions in
this job, how traumatizing certain situations can be, and the fact that it’s a
24-hour job, it’s difficult to find people who are willing to stay dedicated to
the job. The department once had 34 people altogether, but now only has 25
people who work on call around the clock. They struggle to get everyone to show
up for a call and often call in other local departments for assistance with
equipment, water supply, or personnel.
Volunteers must be willing to sacrifice
certain events with family or their sleep schedules in order to truly commit
themselves to this profession.
“The job is very rewarding,” Parasiliti
said.
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