TRUMBULL COUNTY Four area fire chiefs named to emergency response team

Howland's fire chief was asked to start the team last year.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HOWLAND -- Four Trumbull County fire chiefs will represent the Mahoning Valley as members of an emergency management response team in this part of the state.
Being accepted to the team are Michael Durkin of Liberty, George Brown of Howland, Clyde McKenzie of Bazetta and Kenneth Schick of Warren Township.
They will be among 28 members of the Northeast Ohio Incident Management Team that will begin training Saturday at the Howland Fire Department.
"We'll take command of anything they want us to take command of," Durkin said Tuesday.
"It's going to be a great thing," Brown added.
Brown explained that as northeast district director of the Ohio Fire Chief's Association, he was asked last year to form the team.
Team members will be called to the scene of major situations, such as widespread power outages, fires or floods.
Assignments
Team members will either be assigned to the command center or in the field.
Because situations such as blackouts are of a long duration, team members will relieve incident commanders who can then get some sleep, eat and clean up. Brown called attention to a fire last week in the southwestern portion of the state that tied up firefighters for several days.
"The people in charge can't work 24/7," Durkin said.
Besides the command center, Durkin explained, team members might be assigned to a power substation, in the event of a blackout, to direct activities or be in charge of evacuating people.
Brown explained that in some situations it might be best for the rank-and-file firefighters to remain in the field where they are the most useful rather than filling in at a command center.
Durkin explained that local equipment won't be taken with them because fire departments at the scene have the equipment, but lack manpower.
Besides Trumbull County, the 28 management team members are from Stark, Cuyahoga, Lorain, Summit, Portage and Ashtabula counties.
To be named to the team, applicants must have taken the incident management course at the National Fire Academy.
yovich@vindy.com