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Oberlin Fire Department
 

Contact Us

430 South Main St.
Phone: 440 774-3211
Fax: 440 774-
7809

Dennis Kirin

Fire Chief

Susan Hiesser

Assistant Chief

Bernadette O'Dor

Admin Assistant


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Mission Statement
"As members of the community, the Oberlin Fire Department is committed to protecting lives, property, and the environment by providing public education, fire suppression and life safety services to those we serve". 

 

Department Profile
Oberlin Fire Department has its primary responsibility to the citizens of Oberlin, with contracted fire protection to New Russia Township. The total fire protection area is approximately 25 square miles with a population over 11,100. Our fire protection area is predominantly residential, but includes:

Oberlin College
Kendal at Oberlin
FAA Air Traffic Control Center (Cleveland Center)
Mercy Allen Hospital
Lorain County Regional Airport

In 2012, the Oberlin Fire Department responded to 622 emergency incidents, with 513 in the city, 74 in the township and 25 mutual aid calls.

Oberlin Fire Department operates 2 engines, 1 pumper/tanker, 1 aerial tower, 2 rescue units, 1 grass fire unit, and a special rescue team from one fire station.   Oberlin Fire Department provides coverage through 3 shifts with 1 on-duty firefighter, combined with a Fire Chief, an Assistant Chief, 2 Battalion Chiefs, 6 Lieutenants and 21 part-time Firefighters.


Department Affiliations   

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 International Code Council (ICC)
 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
 Lorain County Fire Chiefs' Association  
 North Eastern Ohio Fire Chiefs' Association
 International Association of Fire Chiefs
 Ohio Fire Chiefs' Association
 Ohio State Fire Fighters Association
 International Association of Arson Investigators
 Ohio Chapter - Int'l Assn of Arson Investigators
 National Association of Fire Investigators
 Lorain County Association of Fire Investigators
 Lorain County Local Emergency Planning
   Committee (LEPC)
 Lorain County Technical Rescue Response Team


 

Welcome

OFD Receives FEMA Grant
Oberlin Fire has been awarded a 2013 Assistance to Firefighters grant though FEMA in the amount of $209,674. This grant was requested to replace all of the department's self-contained breathing apparatus, worn by firefighters to protect them when working in fire, rescue and other hazardous environments. Estimated equipment replacement cost is $220,709.


Firefighter of Year - 2012
Oberlin firefighters held their annual holiday and awards party on December 10, naming Firefighter/EMT Joseph Smith as the 2012 Oberlin Firefighter of the Year. Joe was selected for the award for his enthusiasm, devotion and teamwork. Congratulations, Joe.
See FFY


Strategic Planning
The Department continues work on its five-year strategic planning process that will guide our community services into the future. Plan Update Nov 2012 .   Read the plan document. 


SMOKE ALARMS - Install, Inspect, Detect

October is Fire Prevention Month. Smoke alarms are a very important means of preventing home fire fatalities by providing an early warning signal so you and your family can escape. According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), an estimated 385,500 fires occur in residential buildings every year resulting in 3,500 civilian deaths and 13,250 injuries. When a smoke alarm sounds, it is time for you to spring into action.

 

You can prevent tragedy simply by testing and maintaining your smoke alarms and practicing a fire escape plan. Make sure your home fire escape plan is up to date and everyone in the home knows what to do when the smoke alarm sounds. Practice your plan often. Free smoke detectors are available at the fire station.


Fire Station Goes GOLD

The Oberlin fire station has just received the Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for our renovation/expansion, completed on April 2011. The official dedication ceremony was held on August 22, followed by an Open House and tours of the facility. Thank you all for visiting. View our green building project at

Expansion/ renovation of the Fire Station.


Fire Code Permits and Fees
Fees for fire code operational and construction review have been revised. The Oberlin Fire Prevention Code now includes the 2012 International Fire Code. View new requirements at Permits.


Reverse 911 Emergency Notification System
The City of Oberlin utilizes an Emergency Community Notification system known as Reverse 911. The system is used to provide emergency or urgent information to residents during emergencies. The Fire Department maintains the system database. While all resident information is automatically forwarded to the Fire Department during weekly updates, residents may initiate changes to their contact information or add cell phones to the listing by completing an online request  or sending a written R911 Authorization Form to City Hall.  


C.E.R.T. TrainingCommunity Emergency Response Team logo

The Lorain County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security maintains a Citizens Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. In the event of a disaster, trained citizens can react as teams and provide basic care that will help limit further injury to disaster victims and will lessen the possibility of further damage to property. See CERT or call LC Emergency Management at (440) 329-5117 for information.


Mobile Fire Training Trailer at Oberlin
The Mobile Fire Training Unit was placed into service in Oct 2007. The unit was manufactured by Pro-Safe Fire Training Systems of Nobel, Ontario. Funding for this unit was provided through a 2007 Assistance to Firefighters Grant award for $382,755. Read AFG.


Interested in Fire Safety Education?
The department has two important tools available for public education opportunities - Sparky the Fire Dog and Sparky's Hazard House.
Both were acquired through FEMA Fire grant funds.

 

Sparky is a fully animated Dalmatian dog in a fire truck complete with red lights and siren. He moves, speaks, listens, winks, blinks, and even plays music. Sparky will be used in fire prevention activities including school tours, pre-school visits, fire station visits, parades, and Fire Prevention Week. The Hazard House is an excellent opportunity to learn about home fire safety. Contact us to discuss how one of these programs can be schedule for your group or community activity.


Want to Know How to Become an Oberlin Firefighter?
Click HERE for all of the information you'll need about the job requirements and recruitment of firefighter candidates! 

 

 

 

 


Last Updated:   Friday May 10, 2013

Quick Links

On this Site:
Employment Opportunities

Fire Code Forms and Permits

Reverse911 Authorization Form

Annual Report 2012

News and Events

City Codified Ordinances

Notice of Privacy Practices

Education/Information:
Lorain County Fire Training Academy

My Safe Home.com

Sparky.org

Government:
City of Oberlin

State of Ohio

Lorain County

Emergency Preparedness:
Flu.gov (all types)

H1N1 (swine) Flu Info


On Jan 27, 2011, the Department of Homeland Security began replacement of the color-coded alert system with a new National Terrorism Advisory System. Future alerts will simply be published as they occur. Sign up for email or Twitter alerts at:  DHS NTAS  

Homeland Security System:
Disaster Preparedness
 
Click HERE to get some useful information for keeping your family safe... and prepared for any type of emergency - natural or manmade.

There are five Threat Conditions, each identified by a description and corresponding color.  The higher the Threat Condition, the greater the risk of a terrorist attack. Risk includes both the probability of an attack occurring and its potential gravity.


Community Emergency Response Team logo

The
CERT Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. Contact the Lorain County Citizen Corps Council at (440) 322-8154 or awebber@loraincounty.us for more information.


Permits and Inspections
Click HERE to get the new list of Fire Code rates, fees and requirements for permits, inspections, plan reviews and more! If you're a business owner, builder, event planner, apartment manager, etc., this is the document for you! 


   
 

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