The Euclid Fire Department recently celebrated a major milestone as it recognized its 100th year of service on Dec. 1.
According to a post on the department Facebook page, the department began 24/7 service to the community in November 1922. Over a week went by without a call, and Dec. 1 marked 100 years since the department made its first response.
The first incident was a grass fire on St. Clair at 1:15 p.m. and was documented by Chief Ballou, according to the post. The second incident noted by Chief Ballou occurred at 8:45 p.m. on Chardon Road at the top of hill.
Three EFD personnel found a fire in a two-story house caused by an overheated oil stove. The occupant, Mr. W. W. Hough, tried to extinguish the fire before calling the fire department. The delayed notification allowed the fire to spread throughout the home.
The firefighters were at the scene for over two hours.
According to current Euclid Fire Chief Chris Haddock, to coincide with the 100-year anniversary, the department initiated and completed its first-ever community-driven strategic plan.
They realized the importance of creating a “roadmap” for the future that aligned with the needs and expectations of the community. This five-year plan was facilitated by staff from the Center for Public Safety Excellence and involved input from external and internal stakeholders.
“Change has been constant within our organization and our leadership has been committed to managing that change so that we can deliver the best possible public safety service to our community and neighbors,” Haddock said.
The EFD will be piloting a telehealth program with the Cleveland Clinic, becoming the only public safety service in Cuyahoga County doing this program, according to Haddock.
The goal is to help reduce overcrowding in hospital emergency departments and prevent unnecessary transports to hospitals for non-life-threatening medical conditions that can be better treated in the home. In 2022, three EFD ambulances will respond to over 10,000 calls for emergency medical services .
To commemorate the 100-year anniversary, banners were created and placed on utility poles outside of each firehouse. To create the artwork for the banners, the EFD reached out to the students in the CTE Studio Art/Visual Design class at Euclid High School to help create a new logo commemorating the milestone.
A contest was held and the winning logo was created by senior Sofia Dembek. She received a $100 Amazon gift card. Senior Stacie Jones’ design was the runner-up and she received a $50 Amazon gift card. The entire class was treated to a pizza party compliments of Haddock and Assistant Chief Will Anderson.
The department received a proclamation for the 100th anniversary from State Senator Kenny Yuko at a city council meeting on Dec. 19.
Haddock will retire in June after more than 32 years of service with the EFD. Anderson will become the 10th fire chief in the department’s history.
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