Consultants will help study fire suppression tank planned for new school

by Jen Taggart

Aug. 18 township trustees meeting

Hinckley Township trustees hired Associated Consulting Solutions to help the township determine whether the fire suppression tank under the new elementary school building complies with fire codes. The contract will not exceed $1,000. 

Trustee Melissa Augustine spoke with an inspector at the State Fire Marshal’s Office regarding the new Hinckley Elementary building. 

“Speaking with her at length, she has a lot of questions,” Augustine said. “She said she has never, ever seen an underground tank in our area.” 

She said some of the inspector’s concerns include how the tank would be emptied, refilled and tested, settling of the building, and whether a tank is permitted under a building if a fire main is not. 

Fire Chief Jestin Grossenbaugh said that the Cleveland-based Associated Consulting Solutions would have the resources to ensure the underground fire suppression tank does not violate any law. 

“This is a national company that has a vast library on them,” he said. 

On Aug. 20, Grossenbaugh said that after speaking with the fire marshal’s office, he learned that an underground fire suppression tank can be built underneath a building, per National Fire Protection Association code. 

CARES Act 

Trustees reviewed options to use Hinckley’s CARES Act funds. Fire Lt. Andrew Baxter said he would like to purchase two video laryngoscopes that cost approximately $1,000 each. Laryngoscopes are used in the process of intubating a patient, and video laryngoscopes use an LCD display monitor which allows medics to see inside the trachea. 

“It’s not a skill that’s done frequently, but it’s a skill that I feel every medic should have mastered,” Baxter said. 

The equipment also allows safety crews to treat patients from more of a distance, Grossenbaugh said.

“Typically, when medics intubate with the traditional style now, they actually have to get closer to the mouth to be able to visualize, whereas with the computer, you’re farther. You’re not 6 feet, obviously, but you’re an arm’s reach out,” Grossenbaugh said. “It keeps distance, so it’s limiting the time that we’re at the worst time to be dealing with patients, where all the nasty stuff is potentially coming out.” 

Earlier in the meeting, Greg Burrelli, a regional sales manager for Daylight Medical, gave a presentation on the MoonBeam3, a device that cleans surfaces using UV light.

Trustee Jim Burns said he did not see the MoonBeam3 as being worth the cost, and Grossenbaugh said it does not seem to be an efficient tool for the fire department to use to clean. 

Hinckley Township is also considering purchasing backpack disinfectant sprayers at $299 each for the service, fire and administration departments, and Trustee Ray Schulte said those devices may be sufficient for cleaning. 

“[MoonBeam3] was something that I thought was at least worth considering,” Shulte said. 

Open burn policy 

Grossenbaugh said that the township’s open burn policy is based on state law that is enforced by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. 

“We don’t cite or fine anybody that’s burning cars or tires or rotors; we report it to the EPA. The EPA handles it from there because that is a significant hazard,” Grossenbaugh said. “If you have a little fire pit and you’re having some drinks, I would be more worried at this point that people would complain about social distancing around the fire pit.” 

Augustine said that the updated burn policy guidelines outlined by Assistant Fire Chief Gabe Gerbasi on the township’s website include definitions of “recreational fire” and “open burning.” 

“Ceremonial fires, according to Gerbasi, is a flag burning,” she said. “So that’d be a Boy Scout troop or somebody who would come to you for a permit, anyway.” 

Trash opt-out numbers

Schulte said he is working with Medina County Auditor’s Office and engineer’s office to create an updated list of residents to determine the number of households that will be able to request to opt out of Hinckley’s trash-hauling contract with Kimble Recycling and Waste Disposal.

Five percent of households are permitted to opt-out, per the contract. The updated number will include all new residents who have moved to Hinckley since January.

In other action, trustees: 

• voted to accept the resignation of Zoning Commission member Diane Dermodt. Her last meeting was Sept 3. 

• authorized Grossenbaugh to schedule a pre-disciplinary hearing for a firefighter based on Grossenbaugh’s investigation. The closed-door hearing was scheduled for Aug. 27 at 10 a.m.

• announced a special meeting on Aug. 27 at 9 a.m. in which the Medina County Fiber Network would discuss a potential new opportunity for residents for internet and cable services.