“We’re dating,” said Vandalia city manager Rob Anderson. “It’s a long courtship.”
It is a “unique model,” said Vandalia fire chief Chad Follick. “We’re using our staff in the most efficient way.”
Initially, two Butler Twp. crew members and two pieces of the township’s apparatus will be permanently stationed at Vandalia Fire Station No. 1 on Peters Pike.
Phase two will have two Vandalia crew members and two apparatus stationed at Butler’s Little York Road Fire Station No. 88.
“The important part to me is, we can now put Butler Township people on Vandalia apparatus and they can put people on ours,” said township trustee Mike Lang.
Under previous arrangements, in joint calls, only Vandalia officers could operate Vandalia equipment and only Butler officers could operate the township’s equipment.
“A few years ago, Beavercreek and Fairborn merged their stations, but other than that, I don’t know that anyone (in the Dayton area) has been able to put two crews together like this,” Follick said. “Our goal is to reduce the number of personnel we need, and I think this will do that.”
Butler chief Dan Alig also favors the joint staffing, which he said would not only put more personnel in areas where they are needed the most, but eventually save money as well.
“It will result in quicker response times, too,” Alig said.
Vandalia has eight full-time fire and emergency personnel and 65 total, including volunteers, while Butler has nine full-time staffers and about 40 including volunteers.
Currently, each fire department operates two full-service facilities and one equipment and training warehouse in former stations. Each also has four EMS units and four fire engines. Vandalia also has a ladder truck.
Vandalia’s second station is on Brown School Road, while Butler’s is on Frederick Pike.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157 or mkatz @DaytonDailyNews.com.
About the Author