From April to the end of June, members of the Lowell Area Fire Department logged hundreds of hours of training, served up barbequed chicken during the Expo on the Riverwalk and finalized plans for a new county fire truck that is expected to arrive in July 2022.
During the second quarter of 2021, the department also responded to 268 incidents, up from 241 in the first quarter. These broke down into the following categories:
- Rescue and emergency medical service: 192
- Good intent call: 23
- False alarm and false call: 20
- Hazardous condition, no fire: 17
- Service call: 10
- Fires: 6
As is usually the case, EMS calls made up the majority of the department’s workload. However, it also handled a range of other issues, from smoke scares and false alarms to car accidents and brush fires.
Fire Chief Shannon Witherell says the department did have one challenging extraction from an automobile accident in which the vehicle left the roadway and the driver was injured. In a separate incident, members of the department arrived on the scene of a medical emergency in time to save a person from cardiac arrest.
The Lowell Area Fire Department covers a service area that includes the City of Lowell, Vergennes Township and the section of Lowell Charter Township running from the city limits south to I-96. It also assists in other communities when mutual aid is requested.
Department Members Log 587 Hours of Training
Members of the Lowell Area Fire Department train regularly to keep their skills sharp and ensure they are ready for any emergency.
In the second quarter of 2021, the department conducted 507 hours of in-house training. Some members also pursued additional training outside the department in areas such as EMT and CPR instruction. Those firefighters logged an additional 80 hours, bringing the quarter total to 587 hours from April 1 to June 30, 2021.
Connecting with the Community
Department activities extend beyond the fire station though. For instance, in June, members of the Lowell Area Fire Department participated in the Expo on the Riverwalk event in which they served up barbeque chicken dinners as a fundraiser.
Members of the department are also available to conduct home safety checks to ensure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are installed properly. Earlier in the year, the department was offering free detectors to residents in their service area. There is currently a long waiting list for that program, and the department is waiting on additional detectors to be delivered. In the meantime, anyone who has purchased their own smoke and carbon monoxide detectors can call the department to have a firefighter install them.
The Lowell Area Fire Department has begun offering CPR classes as well. The department has five CPR instructors who are available to train others. The cost is $25 per person for certification. Currently, firefighters are working to certify Lowell Police Department officers for CPR and then hope to teach this life-saving skill to other city workers.
New County Truck
Every 17 years, the Lowell Area Fire Department gets a new truck through the Kent County Fire Commission. “It’s owned by the county,” Witherell explains. “They help pay upfront, [and] the county is responsible for all maintenance on the truck.”
At the end of the 17-year period, ownership is transferred to the local department, and Witherell says the Lowell Area Fire Department typically gets 20-25 years of total service out of each truck obtained through the county program. When vehicles are put out of service, they are sold with the local department keeping the proceeds.
The total cost for the new truck is $770,323, which includes both the vehicle and all equipment needed for it. Its cost will be shared in the following ways:
- $204,000 – County share of the cost
- $112,500 – Lowell Community Fund grant, to be used primarily to equip truck
- $151,275 – Required payment from each participating municipality: Vergennes Township, Lowell Charter Township and City of Lowell
The Lowell Area Fire Department maintains a fleet of three engines and one tender, and the new truck is expected to arrive in July 2022.
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