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Liberty offers free ambulance service
New ambulance also improves operations
LIBERTY
Even when temperatures are soaring past 90, the township’s firefighters keep their skills sharp by training constantly – despite their heavy gear.
Liberty Fire Capt. Bill Opsitnik said he aims to have everyone do training once each shift.
“Training has been an ongoing process. We train all the time. We are always looking for better ways of doing our job more effectively,” Opsitnik said. He added the firefighters have been taking classes outside of work, too.
Training takes about an hour or two, and it’s done at the fire stations just about every day. They do drills involving ladders and air packs and practice procedures to remove a firefighter from a building if he or she is down.
“We are always out doing something; always trying to do a better job for our citizens,” Opsitnik said, much like firefighters everywhere.
On Opsitnik’s shift, Liberty firefighters are perfecting a technique to use their water hoses in low visibility and high heat conditions, as some structure fires can exceed 1,000 degrees inside a building.
“We keep active with it, and the whole idea is that by training on a regular basis, it makes it second nature and it makes it easier for firefighters to focus on the task at hand,” he said.
They spray a straight stream of water at the ceiling to diffuse gases that rise that could combust and add to the fire.
This technique also prevents steam from filling the space which could be harmful for anyone inside and cools the space down.
“We have to keep an aggressive mindset for structure fires,” he said. “There’s nothing better than getting a phone call from guys coming on shifts saying they had a fire last night and used the techniques they learned and it worked well.”
The training builds confidence and ensures the firefighters do a good job, he said.
Capt. Cathy Macchione, public information officer for the Liberty Fire Department, said each captain has their own technique to train their firefighters through a combination of hands-on practice, videos and outside trainers to keep them on top of their game.
The Liberty Fire Department received a new ambulance last month, which has also improved operations.
Macchione said the ambulance cost $110,000. Having the new addition better equips firefighters to respond to township calls quickly and transport people in a more reliable vehicle.
Liberty residents who need an ambulance can ride the department’s ambulance at no cost, she said. People outside the township will pay for the service when Liberty provides mutual aid.