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Firefighters saw fewer calls in 2012

The Lisbon Fire Department had a busy year in 2012, although not quite as busy as the year before.

The 2012 annual report submitted by Chief Dave Lewton to Village Council at this week’s meeting showed the fire department responded to 229 calls, down from 254 the year before.

Of those 229 calls, 11 were for structure fires: three each in Lisbon and Center Township, and five in Elkrun Township. The fire department handled a total of 19 structure fires in those service areas in 2011. The fire department responded to a combined 44 fires, which include vehicles, campers, grass fires and trash fires.

The department continued in 2012 to receive an inordinate number of false alarms from Lisbon businesses. According to Lewton’s report, 40 of the 101 fire calls received in Lisbon last year, or 39.6 percent, were false alarms. The department responded to 36 false alarms in Lisbon the year before.

Council considered charging for false alarms when the issue was raised last year because each call costs between $500 to $1,000, depending on the number of firefighters who respond.

The chief culprit was a malfunctioning sprinkler system at the Vista Center, which shut down when the air compressor overheated. Lewton said the Vista Center must have addressed the problem because the number of false alarm calls have dropped since the fire department threatened to begin billing them, as did the village water department for the water loss.

In other action at the meeting:

– Council approved purchasing five new sets of firefighter turnout gear at a cost of $2,301 per set, with the money coming from the general fund. Fiscal Officer Tracey Wonner pointed out after the meeting this represents about 50 percent of what the fire department is usually paid during the course of the year.

– Village Solicitor Virginia Barborak reported the dispute over water flowing into the basement of the Motorcycle Dream Shop building following installation of new traffic lights at the intersection is between the owner and the Ohio Department of Transportation, which erected the new signal.

– Council agreed to spend $1,050 to purchase the fuel tank the village had been given to use at the street department garage. The 1,000-gallon tank is owned by the fuel supplier, Hays Oil, which is going out of business and offered to sell the tank to the village rather than take it back. Street department foreman Jim Oliver recommended they purchase the tank since the new fuel supplier does not provide them.

– Council accepted the resignation of Cameron Reynolds, a part-time police department dispatcher.

– Lisbon Historical Society official Gene Krotky informed council about the plan to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Morgan’s Raid with a series of events scheduled for July 28 in Lisbon, West Point and Wellsville. She wanted to let them know what is being planned and the fact village cooperation is needed. Krotky also asked council to consider providing some financial assistance to help underwrite the cost of the historical re-enactment, which is free.

“It’s a gift to the village and its people,” she said.

tgiambroni@mojonews.com

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