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 1, 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.

New Fire Apparatus In Service
Oberlin has taken delivery of a new 2011 Pierce PUC rescue pumper. Manufactured in Appleton WI, the unit arrived on March 10. It is a 1500 gallon/minute with full fire, rescue and EMS response capability.

Tornado Safety Awareness
The Fire Department will conduct regular testing of the warning siren system on the second Wednesday of each month between March and September. Are you prepared for a storm? Read about tornado information.

Interested in purchasing an All-Hazard Alert Radio? The Lorain County Office of Emergency Management has arranged for discount pricing for radios as depicted here. To order, print the radio form and send directly to retailer. Antenna is NOT required.

Firefighter of Year - 2010
Oberlin firefighters held their annual holiday and awards party on December 6, naming Firefighter/EMT Kristin Braziunas as the 2010 Oberlin Firefighter of the Year. Kristin was selected for the award for her enthusiasm, devotion and teamwork. Congratulations, Kristin.

Planning for the Future
On September 28, Oberlin Firefighters began a strategic planning process that will culminate in a five-year plan that will guide our community services into the future. To facilitate this process, a group of forty community representatives participated in a survey session, providing critical feedback and direction to our efforts. We thank those community-minded residents for their assistance. The final plan will be presented to City Council on Feb 22 for adoption. Read the plan.

Illegal Burning Can Be Costly
Did you know that all open fires are prohibited within 1,000 feet of a neighboring residence?  Before you light it, check our local regulations on Open Burning Regulations.

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 2,770 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 Code Permits and Fees
Fees for fire code operational and construction review have been revised. The Oberlin Fire Prevention Code now includes the 2009 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. Training

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.

OFD EMS First Responder Service
The next time you call for an ambulance, don’t be surprised to see a firefighter arrive at your house. Oberlin Firefighters respond with Central LC Ambulance District to provide first-responder mutual assistance for emergency medical calls within the City of Oberlin... see First Responder

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 March 23, 2012