OBERLIN — U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur (OH-9) today announced the award of $382,755 to the Oberlin Fire Department from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program.

According to Oberlin Fire Chief Dennis Kirin, the federal award will be used to purchase a mobile "live fire simulator" for use in training firefighters in Oberlin and throughout the area. It is estimated that the federal award will cover 95 percent of the cost of the simulator, with five percent coming from local sources.

"Congratulations to the department and to the community for this great success in a highly competitive process," said Congresswoman Kaptur. "In typical style, Oberlin is showing great leadership in training first responders."

Chief Kirin said the Oberlin Fire Department will now be able to prepare the paperwork and seek bids on the high-tech equipment that will allow firefighters to train in realistic fire situations. He said the simulator, which resembles a 50-foot-long truck trailer, can create a fire scene, using actual fire and smoke in a safe and environmentally sound environment.

"It's actually a computerized version of a building on fire," Chief Kirin said. "We can set by computer, not simulations, but actual live fires with smoke. It is a 100 percent safe environment in which to train in an economical and environmentally sound manner.

"I am very motivated when it comes to training for our firefighters-and also to the larger needs of the area."

Chief Kirin said the federal award was predicated on making the simulator available not only to the five full-time and 25 part-time firefighters at the Oberlin department, which serves the city of Oberlin and New Russia Township, but also the other 652 firefighters in Lorain County.

"We are ecstatic," said Chief Kirin. "This is significant: I can't think of anything like this anywhere in Northeast Ohio."

"I applaud Chief Kirin and the city of Oberlin for looking at the big picture," said Congresswoman Kaptur. "All of Lorain County-and all of Northeast Ohio-is a big winner today due to their foresight."

Congresswoman Kaptur is a senior member of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, which funds the Homeland Security agency and the U.S. Fire Administration. She has worked extensively with fire departments throughout the Ninth Congressional District to encourage their participation in the fire grant initiative.

Congresswoman Kaptur noted that she had announced a $72,257 award to the Oberlin Fire Department in October 2005 for a firefighter health and wellness program and the purchase of equipment.

"Everyone is proud of the Oberlin Fire Department for its progressive approach and its willingness to share its equipment and expertise in the cause of protecting lives and property," she said.

OBERLIN — Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-9) announced the award of $72,257 to the Oberlin Fire Department to be used for the purchase/upgrade of firefighter self-contained breathing apparatus and to fund a firefighter health and wellness program. The award comes from the U.S. Fire Administration and was awarded under the Assistance for Firefighters Grant Program, administered by the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, now housed in the Department of Homeland Security.
"Congratulations to the Oberlin Fire Department for receiving one of the 2005 grants from the U.S. Fire Administration," said Kaptur, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, which funds FEMA and its U.S. Fire Administration's operations. "This federal assistance will allow the fire division to better equip itself for rapid response to emergencies to ensure the safety of the courageous men and women who provide fire protection to the citizens of Oberlin."
Fire Chief Dennis Kirin noted that the department will receive $46,060 to perform a complete upgrade of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) to meet the current industry safety standards, and for the purchase of two additional units, allowing the department to provide the best respiratory protection available for the firefighters. While the present units are good quality, they are considered non-compliant by national occupational health and safety standards. The addition of two very important features - redundant low air alarms and integrated personal alert system (PASS) alarms would provide firefighters with automatic safety features not provided by the present system, as these safeguards activate upon unit initiation and remain intact upon entering a contaminated atmosphere. The updated units will also include an emergency breathing air connection assuring interoperability with the countywide (Lorain County) fire department firefighter rescue program.
Funds requested for wellness and fitness activities will be used to implement a continuing, proactive wellness and fitness program for our firefighters. This program, entitled Fit for Life, will be mandatory for all department personnel. The program includes complete medical examinations for all members, necessary immunizations, a complete fitness assessment, and additional nutrition and behavioral components according to the recommendations of the IAFF-IAFC Wellness/Fitness Initiative.
Kirin noted "Unfortunately, such important programs are not always affordable through local funding. The Fire Department is fortunate that the Assistance to Firefighter Grant program is supported and funded by Congress. Without this support, some of these programs would never be achievable."
To accomplish the goals set forth in the Fit for Life program efficiently and economically, partnerships will be established for both occupational health and fitness center activities. Two fire personnel have already completed a HMI Certified Fitness Coordinators course conducted at the Ohio Fire Academy. Total cost of the wellness program is $30,000.
Chief Kirin noted "By implementing this program, we are committing to a healthy lifestyle approach in hope of reducing the number of deaths and injuries while improving the overall wellness of each firefighter. This mandatory program will be designed to motivate our members to participation through incentives rather than punitive actions or measures."
Kaptur added, "The citizens of Oberlin will certainly be the benefactors of this return of federal resources to our community in the form of a better trained and equipped fire department."

OBERLIN — Derrick Macarthy was feeling dazed Monday night, less than 24 hours after fire ripped through his South Park Street home and took the lives of two of his young children in the process.
“My head is in so many places, but my head is really with my kids,” Macarthy said.

Four-year-old D’Angelo Macarthy and 15-month-old Dezirae Macarthy both died in the fire. Derrick Macarthy, 24, escaped along with two of his other children, ages 2 and 5.

Oberlin fire Chief Dennis Kirin was on the scene most of the day Monday, along with investigators from the state fire marshal’s office. “The investigation is ongoing,” Kirin said. As for the cause, Kirin said, “Right now we have not narrowed anything down. We’re still on a whole wide range of possibilities.”

Preliminary autopsy results show that D’Angelo died of smoke inhalation, Coroner Paul Matus said. He added that he hasn’t yet made a final ruling, however. Cuyahoga County Coroner Elizabeth Balraj handled Dezirae’s autopsy. Balraj said Dezirae died of smoke inhalation and also had burns over her entire body. Balraj and Matus both said neither child appeared to have any kind of violence done to their bodies before the fire. 

Lorain County 9-1-1 received a call from an obviously panicked woman shortly before 10 p.m. Sunday. “The baby’s in the house, at 106 South Park Street, it’s on fire!” screamed the caller, who never identified herself during the call. Kirin said the caller was the next door neighbor. Derrick Macarthy’s 5-year-old son, Jamar Moore, alerted him to the fire. He then took two children to the neighbor’s house and asked the neighbor to call the fire department, Oberlin Fire officials said.

Derrick Macarthy tried to re-enter the house to get the other two children, but was unable due to the smoke and heat. The 9-1-1 tape details the neighbor’s frantic pleas to someone in the background to kick in one of the windows of the house. Danielle Moore, Derrick Macarthy’s long-time girlfriend and mother of all four children in the home, was not home at the time. Police were the first to arrive on the scene. Oberlin Fire Department arrived within four minutes of the 9-1-1 call. Firefighters entered the home and located the two children trapped inside. Both were transported to Allen Medical Center. Derrick Macarthy was also transported for injuries sustained during the incident.

“All I can say is I did the best I could,” Derrick Macarthy said about his rescue effort. “The fire was so intense. It was one of those situations where everyone did the best they could. Words can’t even explain how I feel.” 

The fire was declared under control at 10:28 p.m. and firefighters remained on scene about two hours. Approximately 28 firefighters were there, including mutual aid assistance from Wellington and Carlisle Township. This was Oberlin’s first fatal fire in over five years. The last was on Morgan Street in February 1998, when a grandmother and her 11-year-old granddaughter died in a fire that was later ruled arson, Kirin said.

Craig Spotts lives across the street from the Macarthy home. He was sitting in his living room when he looked out the window and saw the reflection of flames in the window. “The flames were in the living room about this high,” Spotts said, holding his hand level with his knees. “I watched the fire. I watched it escalate.” Spotts said he would have done something to help, but due to past injuries he is not very mobile. “It was one ugly scene to watch,” he said.
Another neighbor who would identify herself only by her initials, “D.E.G.,” said she was down the street when the fire started and she heard Derrick Macarthy screaming. “He was saying, ‘My children, my children, my babies are in there.’ Derrick was screaming and hollering,” the woman said. Another nearby resident, Linda Fields, said her 4-year-old son went to school with D’Angelo. “The kids were beautiful. That sums it up,” Fields said.

Derrick Macarthy said D’Angelo looked exactly like him and in fact tried to be like his daddy. “He’d go around and tell people his name is Derrick,” Derrick Macarthy said. And he described Dezirae as a “happy” baby who had just learned how to walk.
“They were like a big gang, those four kids together. All four of them were like best friends,” he said.

The burned home was owned by Lorain County Metropolitan Housing Authority, one of a number of so-called “pogodas” built in the 1970s to accommodate low-income residents. There are 51 pogodas scattered in the south end of the city.
Ironically, it was another fatal fire about 35 years ago that spurred construction of the pogodas, according to Geoffrey Blodgett in his book “Oberlin College Architecture: A Short History.” Blodgett wrote that in February 1967, children died on Lincoln Street when “flames from a leaking oil heater destroyed the shack they lived in with their mother’s two sisters on welfare,” according to the book. He said the city had turned off their electricity three weeks earlier because of unpaid bills. Blodgett wrote that the fire opened Oberlin’s eyes to the reality of low-income housing. This led to creation of a Housing Renewal Commission, which ultimately planned the building of the pogodas. 

Homer Virden, director of Metropolitan Housing, said the Macarthy residence had smoke detectors. “We’re doing everything we can to provide for the family, to ensure they have other housing,” Virden said. “My heart goes out to the family.”
Several neighbors complained that the fire wouldn’t have been so bad if Oberlin kept more full-time firefighters available on station. As it is, most of Oberlin’s firefighters work on a part-time, on-call basis. But City Manager Rob DiSpirito disputed claims that that had anything to do with the severity of Sunday’s fire. “Apparently, this fire was fully engaged before the police even knew about it,” DiSpirito said.

Eastwood Elementary, where the 5-year-old Jamar Moore is a kindergarten student, sent students home Monday with a letter written by Principal Tracey Frierson. She wrote that teachers shared with students the news of the fire but that they do not know all the details of it. “We have assured the children they can talk with their teachers, and more importantly their parents, about how to be safe from a fire,” she wrote

OBERLIN - According to the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the Oberlin Fire Department has one of the best leaders in the nation.

Chief Dennis Kirin was recently designated as a chief fire officer by the organization - a professional recognition open to all fire chiefs.

Kirin will receive official certification of the status at an awards reception Aug. 21 in Dallas. 

When the fire department is assigned the responsibility of providing disaster services, it takes its job very seriously. It realizes that proactively tracking adverse weather conditions and their potential affect on our community is better than just waiting for something to happen. And while it is difficult to always stay on top of the weather without dedicating extensive time to constantly watch it, we cannot afford a costly surprise either. This is why we have added StormSentry.

DTN Storm-Sentry is a state-of-the-art weather processing and display package that gives the department critical information to plan for weather events and act rather than react. The system includes three components: doppler radar, alert management, and storm tracking. The Storm-Sentry system is based on NEXRAD single-site doppler radar that is used daily by meteorologists from the National Weather Service to issue warnings and forecasts. The NEXRAD radar allows detection of even small thunderstorms and lake effect snow that other radars may miss. In addition to the radar display, Storm-Sentry alerting is activated whenever the National Weather Service issues watches or warnings for the Lorain County or adjacent areas.

The Storm-Sentry storm tracking feature allows the fire department to track weather conditions that may affect the Oberlin area including heavy snow, freezing rain, severe thunderstorms, and tornadoes. The sophisticated program will show where the storm is, where it is going, and when it will get there. And when a severe storm is threatening the community, the department can activate our weather warning systems.

Weather Warning System Expanded

With the assistance of Kendal at Oberlin, the fire department has added a fifth weather warning siren which is located in the north-central portion of the city. This unit enhances the existing warning system sirens located at Pyle Road, Artino Street, South Main Street, and at the fire station. When activated the warning sirens produce alternating blasts over a 4 minute period. The warning system is activated once upon the issuance of a Tornado Warning and will be reactivated for each tornado sighting near Oberlin or additional Tornado Warning alerts.

A monthly test of the siren system will be conducted throughout the tornado season every second Wednesday of the month at 11:00 a.m. In order to avoid confusion, monthly tests will not be conducted at their scheduled time if adverse weather conditions are present in the area.

For further information concerning tornado safety, contact the fire station.

Chief Kirin noted "This is a win-win situation for our city residents. Not only can the Hospital arrange for the most expedient ambulance transport, but the Fire Department personnel can immediately respond and attend to the patient’s needs pending arrival of that transport unit. This is what a true emergency medical care system is all about." Presently, the first responder service is limited to the City of Oberlin. There will be no additional fees to the residents.

For the first time in its history, Oberlin College officials will yank off-campus housing priviledges from students who plan to live in unlicensed rooming houses. In early December, Deborah McNish, acting dean of students, mailed a letter to all rising juniors and seniors outlining the college's intent to force them to avoid the unlicensed houses. Along with the letter was sent a list of the city's student rooming houses - which house five or more students in a dwelling - and the status of the rooming house permits.

Sandra Hougland, assistant director of resident life and services/assignments for the college, said this is the second letter sent to students this year informing them of the college's plans. The letter reminds students of the college's adoption of a policy requiring Residential Life and Services staff to deny students permission to occupy any regulated rooming house that fails to meet the city's licensing standard. The city provided the rooming house status list to the college.

However, the letter notes, the list indicates the status of facilities for the current academic year. The licenses must be renewed each summer for the following school year. "Therefore, even if the property you are considering is listed as a licensed property, you will need to ensure that the property will be licensed for the coming academic year," McNish wrote.

The college is encouraging students to place the following language in a lease agreement: "Tenant's obligations under this lease are conditioned upon the landlord obtaining a rooming house license for the period 1999-2000."  Students who fail to put the clause in a lease agreement and find themselves in an unlicensed house will be forced to return to on-campus housing, or find off-campus housing that is licensed, Hougland explained. "As a result, you may be paying twice for housing expenses," NcNish wrote, "It is very important that you consider these factors and take steps to protect your interests before you enter any lease agreement."

The majority of the city's 42 rooming houses on the list are licensed. Just over 300 students live in the facilities. 

In Oberlin recently one fire killed a 12-year-old girl and her grandmother, and others did considerable damage to two student dwellings. City officials are working on tougher fire code enforcement and now Oberlin College has joined the campaign by focusing attention on non-compliant landlords.

Oberlin College President Nancy S. Dye said the college won't permit students to live in off-campus housing that doesn't meet fire codes or where landlords won't allow inspections. She put 11 rooming houses on a list of places that will be out of bounds until the owners permit inspections or make changes.

Dye's stand should be a model for others. Every college town ought to adopt standards that include requiring hard-wired smoke detectors, sufficient exits, a ban on space heaters and inspections and occupancy permits on properties rented to students. Every other community should encourage landlords to comply with such rules for all rental property.

Students sometimes have limited choices in their quest for reasonably priced, adequate housing. Oberlin has little in the way of what could be called slum housing, but there are hidden dangers in some of the rooming houses that exist to support off-campus living.

Individually, students may be powerless to force landlords to comply with local codes. Collectively, the college can provide that clout. We commend Dye for her campaign. (Editorial, The Morning Journal).