Home Care In Olmsted Falls, OH

OLMSTED FALLS, Ohio — Olmsted Falls’ fire department recently received its new $693,566 Spartan pumper fire truck.

Olmsted Falls Fire Chief Matt Sheehan said after being visited by numerous manufacturers, the department selected Georgia-based Fouts Fire for its quick lead time.

Still, it’s one thing for a company to promise a quick turnaround after purchase and another to actually deliver it on schedule.

“Oh, we’re very happy with Fouts Fire, which makes their own chassis so it could be delivered quicker,” he said. “We had about seven or eight add-ons, so it took about nine months to get the truck that was delivered on Dec. 1.”

Next the new pumper will receive roughly $60,000 of add-ons to the vehicle, which were suggested by firefighters.

The list includes an EMS cabinet, 3,000-watt inverter installed with the interior outlets, pull-out trays in four cabinets, an extended tailboard for firefighter safety and hose wells on both sides of the pumper carrying 25 feet of 5-inch diameter line.

Sheehan expects the new truck, which can carry 1,000 gallons of water with flow meters on all the discharges, to be operational by the end of the month.

“Going from 750 gallons on board to 1,000 gallons buys us a couple more minutes,” he said.

“If we were to get a structure fire, we’d have more time to secure a hydrant to keep the water flow going.”

This marks an increase from the department’s current 2004 KME pumper that carries 750 gallons of water.

However, with only 33,000 miles on the old vehicle, the fire chief said the city will have a decision to make.

“The new administration may want to totally refurbish it, which we got a price of around $300,000,” he said. “That would probably give us an excellent back-up engine that would last another 10 or 15 years.

“But money is tight no matter where you go. It may be better for the new administration coming to sell it outright with whatever money they get being put into other needed fire department equipment.”

In addition to the new and older pumper, the fire chief said his fleet currently includes a 2009 ladder truck, a 2022 ambulance and 2016 back-up ambulance.

There are also ancillary vehicles such as a pick-up truck and car.

OLMSTED TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- Olmsted Falls City Schools recently named Patrick Goclano as the district’s next treasurer/chief financial officer.

Goclano, who currently holds the same position with the Stow-Munroe Falls City School District, replaces Brett Robson, who is retiring at the end of the year.

“Brett gave us a heads-up in early summer he wanted to retire at the end of the calendar year, which we were very grateful for that long runway,” said Board of Education President Phil Eckenrode.

“You don’t always get that.”

At that point, the district contracted consultant group K-12 Business Consulting Inc. to lead the new treasurer search, at an estimated cost of $8,000.

After the school board received roughly a dozen applications, Eckenrode said the three finalists went through two rounds of interviews.

Goclano’s impressive background in school finance, exceptional communication skills and a commitment to transparency made him an excellent fit for the district. Eckenrode said.

With a five-year Ohio Department of Education School treasurer license, Goclano comes to the district with experience in treasurer operations, including budgeting, payroll, accounts management, forecasting, levy planning and oversight of construction-related financial reporting.

He holds a bachelor of arts degree with a focus on business and communications from Youngstown State University.

“Olmsted Falls truly stood out to me as a district where people care deeply about students, each other and the broader community,” Goclano said in a press release.

“I know I’m stepping into big shoes following Brett Robson, whose work has helped position the district for success.

“I’m excited to continue that momentum by building strong relationships and supporting staff with transparent, student-focused financial leadership.

“I’m thrilled to join the OFCS team and look forward to the work ahead, continuing the district’s tradition of responsible financial stewardship.”

As for Robson, Eckenrode said he played an important role in restoring the district’s financial health.

“He is leaving our district in a better place than he found it,” Eckenrode said.

“We’re so grateful to him for that. He has certainly earned his retirement and will be missed.”