STONELICK TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Six fire departments from across Clermont and Brown counties spent three days testing fire truck pumps at Stonelick Township Fire Department’s Station 40, part of an annual inspection the departments share to hold down costs.
Stonelick Township Fire Department said in a Facebook post that it has partnered with neighboring departments for several years to get the required testing done together rather than each department paying for the service separately. This year’s round included Jackson Township Fire and Rescue, Wayne Township Fire and Rescue, Williamsburg Township Emergency Services, Central Joint Fire-EMS District and Mount Orab Fire Department.
“We’ll continue to do everything we can to stretch your tax dollars as far as we can and are proud to work with these other departments that share the same goals,” the department said in the post.
Fire pumps are put through standardized performance tests annually under National Fire Protection Association guidelines, which call for pumps to run at full and partial capacity for sustained periods to confirm they can deliver rated water flow and pressure in an emergency. Apparatus that fails the test is taken out of service until repairs are made and the pump is retested.
Trucks from the participating departments drafted water from portable tanks set up in the Station 40 parking lot during the three-day testing window, pumping thousands of gallons through the apparatus to verify performance.
Stonelick Township Fire Department has operated out of Station 40 on U.S. 50 since the department was formed in May 2006 from the former Owensville Fire Department. The department runs a second station on Stonelick-Williams Corner Road and provides 24-hour fire and paramedic service to the township with a combination of paid staff and volunteers.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Stonelick Township Fire Department.