Massillon Fire Chief Tom Burgasser said one fire engine and one ambulance will be housed at the station, which is slated to reopen in 2019.
MASSILLON The planned reopening of Fire Station 3 is even more imperative to city safety with the pending closure of Affinity Medical Center, officials say.
Taking patients farther to emergency rooms at Aultman Hospital and Mercy Medical Center in Canton will likely add an extra seven to 10 minutes to ambulance response times, according to Fire Chief Tom Burgasser.
And a paramedic crew's overall time commitment, which includes transferring a patient, briefing doctors/nurses, filling out the necessary paperwork and returning, could mean an hour trip, he said.
"Obviously, we'll have increased response times and need extra resources to compensate for that," the chief said.
If Affinity hospital closes on Feb. 4 as planned, the department will have to reshape the staffing plan for its 52 firefighters and paramedics, Burgasser said. The change will be throughout the department, and not just center around station 3 at 955 Wales Road NE.
"It will be department-wide," said the chief, noting changes have not yet been formally discussed. "We'll do the best we can with a new staffing model."
Last week, Quorum Health announced plans to halt medical services Feb. 4 at Affinity because of declining revenues, increased operational costs and a competitive market.
Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry called the eventual reopening of the fire station a positive move, especially with the hospital's pending closure. She mentioned the time needed to get to Canton hospitals is crucial in emergency situations.
Having more Fire Department medics stationed on the city's northeast side could provide some relief to residents, who might not have a local hospital in a matter of weeks, the mayor said.
Fire Station 3 staffing
For now, a trio of firefighters/paramedics will be assigned to Fire Station 3 once the facility reopens in early-to-mid 2019, Burgasser said.
Staffing will be the same at the Wales Road NE station as the city's other substations — Fire Station 2, located at 17 17th St. NW, and Fire Station 4, 2720 Erie St. S. In addition, station 3 will be assigned one fire engine and one ambulance, which is also mirrors the other full-service, satellite fire stations staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Having station 3 operational will allow the Fire Department to respond more quickly to commercial zones, such as Wales Square and Aultman West, Burgasser said, as well as residential neighborhoods on the city's northeast side.
"This allows us to begin an incident command, get a ladder up (to a home or business) and start the fire suppression process if something breaks out," the chief said.
Fire Station 3 was shut down in 2012 because it posed a safety hazard to firefighters, as city health inspectors had found peeling paint, mold and flaking asbestos tiles inside. Some interior and asbestos work could start as soon as April, Burgasser said.
Remodeling would likely start later this year, according to the chief, who said a living quarters for firefighters, fitness room and turnout gear area will be added to the rear portion of the structure. Cost to get the station back to serviceable is estimated between $600,000 and $800,000.
The total addition to the station should be approximately 12-feet-by-60 feet, Burgasser said.
City Councilman Milan Chovan Jr., R-at large, said the decision to reopen Fire Station 3 was the right call, but noted that — in his opinion — it's a year or so behind. Chovan, who chairs council's Police and Fire Committee, said meetings with Catazaro-Perry and Safety-Service Director Joel Smith took place in early 2017 when he made a case for reopening the facility.
"We should have had it remodeled by the end of 2017 and be staffing it now," Chovan said. "I'm glad we're doing it. Maybe our carryover money can pay for it."
The city is in line for a $4.3 million general fund carryover to start the year. A chunk of that surplus could pay for upgrading and opening the fire station, Chovan said.
Burgasser said it would take city dollars to fund upgrades to the station and to reopen it as grant dollars are not available.
"We plan on partnering with City Council on the funding process," the chief said.
Call numbers ramp up
Increased 911 calls received by the Fire Department over the past few years and the city's recent economic turnaround were reasons mentioned by the chief and Catazaro-Perry for reopening the closed fire station. The mayor announced plans to reopen the station during her Jan. 2 state-of-the-city speech.
Calls citywide have steadily increased since 2012, when the station was closed, according to Fire Department records. During that year, 4,527 calls came in for emergency fire or medical service, while calls in 2017 totaled 5,767 — an increase of 1,240. Last year's calls resulted in 4,135 patients transported to area hospitals.
Due to rising call numbers and the eventual reopening of Fire Station 3, the Fire Department added four firefighters to its force on Monday. However, one longtime city firefighter is retiring at the end of January, Burgasser said, which equates to the department adding three firefighters for a total of 52 beginning in February.
"We need a break and are running constantly (with more emergency calls and response)," said the chief, noting that the department receives at least 15 calls per day.
A pair of new fire trucks are en route to the city this summer, one of which will be assigned to Station 3, Burgasser said.
Reach Steven at 330-775-1134 or at steven.grazier@indeonline.com.
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