Deerfield Fire Department

DEERFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT
COMMAND STRUCTURE

Chief of Department Miles Felmly

Assistant Chief of Department & Division Chief of Emergency Operations & Fire Training
Vaughn Sutcliffe

Division Chief of Fire Prevention & Strategic Planning
Dave Allison

Division Chief of Emergency Medical & Administrative Services
EMS Coordinator & Supervisor
Michelle Bright

Captain Dan Bright

Captain Brian Allison

Lieutenants
Jason Boivin
Derek McCoy
Ryan Leifheit
Dan Clegg

Station Location 9482 U.S. Rte. 224, Deerfield, Portage County, Ohio
Mailing address: P.O. Box 129 Deerfield, Ohio 44411-0129

Annual Operating Budget $95,000.00
Capital improvement funding $70,000.00

Deerfield Fire Department has its primary responsibility to the citizens of Deerfield Township in Portage County, Ohio. Deerfield is 25 square miles with a full time population of approximately 3,300 and a summer population of 6,600.

Deerfield Fire Department provides fire suppression, hazardous condition control, medical first responders, basic & advanced life support with ambulance transportation to area hospitals. Yearly Deerfield Fire responds to approximately 350 emergency incidents.

Thank you for your interest in Deerfield Fire Department.

Our Fire Department was organized in 1947 as a volunteer fire department and we are currently considered a combination department. The term volunteer refers to the fact that each member volunteers to come when called. Some volunteer fire departments pay their members a small hourly fee when responding to emergencies. Deerfield Township does not pay volunteers for their emergency service.

Deerfield Fire Department does pay for one on duty Emergency Responder to be on duty 24 hours a day.  This is done in order to provide a trained person available to respond immediately to calls for emergency assistance. This person also runs the Friends & Neighbors program where elderly community residents and those with special needs are routinely contacted to assure they are OK especially during severe weather.   

The Fire Department is controlled by the Deerfield Township Trustees who appoint a Chief to manage the operations. The Chief is authorized by the Township Trustees to appoint officers to assist in the management of emergency operations and Township owned equipment.

The size of our Department is currently authorized at 30 members. The individual members are the most important part of the Department and with out their service we would not have a Fire Department.

The Fire Department members have formed a social organization called The Deerfield Fire Department Association. The social organization meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 7:00 P.M. The social organizations primary activities have been fund raising and guidance in the direction, goals and operation of the Fire Department.

There is another social organization originally organized as a ladies auxiliary comprised of firefighters wives and known as The Sirenetts. The Sirenetts currently accepts members that do not have a spouse involved in the Volunteer Fire Department. The Sirenetts holds fund raising events with proceeds used for the betterment of the Fire Department.

The first fire truck was purchased in 1948 with funding from the social organizations involved in the Fire Department Many pieces of equipment owned by the Township today were purchased by the social organizations and donated to the Township.

There are many different activities that are involved in an emergency operation. Some people are involved in the actual fighting of fire or treatment of victims of medical emergencies while others are in support activities. Because of this we are able to utilize persons with varying levels of training and physical ability. The average fire has 2 people actually fighting the fire and 8 others in support activities. The average medical emergency has 2 people actually treating the victim and 3 others in support activities.

Current State law requires 36 hours of firefighter training in the first year of membership to remain a volunteer firefighter. There are many other opportunities for training available to those with interest beyond the basic training, such as fire inspection, arson investigation, hazardous materials incidents, medical first responders and Emergency Medical (EMT) Technicians. Our most difficult area to maintain is a trained staff of EMT's due to the length of time require to complete the course.

Deerfield Fire Department operates as a combination department, mostly volunteert. We are authorized by Township resolution to have up to 30 regular members. We also offer membership at a cadet level for persons under 18 years of age.