By J.T. WHITEHOUSE

Staff writer

CANFIELD — Personnel and equipment issues topped Monday’s meeting of the Cardinal Joint Fire District as the district is losing a captain and gaining two part-timers.

CJFD Chief Don Hutchison presented the board with a request from Capt. Conner O’Halloran to take a three-month leave of absence. O’Halloran was approved by Mahoning County Commissioners last week as the new emergency planning and E911 administrator. He also serves as an assistant fire chief in Poland and plans to keep that job on a part-time basis.

Hutchison said there is a list of potential candidates, but it would be up to the firefighters union as to whether it could be used.

“Over a year ago, we did testing and seven took the test,” he said. “The test and list was good for one year and that has expired.”

He said the union could agree to reinstate the test results and open the captain’s position up to those remaining on the list.

Hutchison said one on that list was already promoted to captain and three to lieutenants, leaving two or three on the expired list who could be eligible.

Should the union not agree to extend the timeline for the list, the test would have to be administered again. The issue will likely come before the board in August or September.

In the meantime, the board approved two new part-timers. Zebulun M. Garlough of Salem and Chester J. Glista of Canfield are the latest candidates for a part-time firefighter / EMT position.

“Both were interviewed this month,” Hutchison said.

EQUIPMENT PURCHASES

On the equipment side, the first item on the agenda was the purchase of four new gas detectors. He said the new monitors would be positioned on each ambulance and could detect oxygen, CO, sulfide and combustibles. The present sniffers don’t cover all those gases.

“If we get them now, we can use them at the fair in a few weeks,” Hutchison said.

He mentioned the concession stand in Columbiana that had a propane leak over the July 4 weekend. The stand owner was transferring French fries and the grease dripped onto an electrical connection, causing a spark that was followed by an explosion. The man ended up with burns on 40% of his body trying to put out the fire, according to the chief.

“These monitors would pick up a propane leak,’ he said. “At the fair, we check those things out ahead of time so we don’t have situations like that.”

The board approved the purchase of gas detectors / monitors at a cost of $6,779.96 for all four.

The board also accepted a check from the City of Struthers in the amount of $90,000 for the 2017 ambulance that was declared as surplus. The payment will be put into the equipment fund.

RENEWAL LEVY

CJFD Fiscal Officer Pattie Prince presented the auditor’s evaluation of a renewal levy.

“The levy will proceed at 0.42 mill and will generate $238,124 per year,” she said. “This levy is for 2027, so we are actually one year ahead.”

The five-year, 0.42-mill levy was first passed in 2021 and started collecting in 2022. The renewal is an operating levy.

In other business, the board:

* Approved the annual maintenance and battery replacement of six heart monitors at a cost of $19,761.90.

* Approved Peak I.T. for five new computers and upgrades to Windows 11 at a cost of $8,554.

* Heard the monthly report from Hutchison, who said the department handled a total of 234 calls in June, of which 115 were ambulance transports. There was one fire loss of $60,000 for an outbuilding on Canfield Road near Cornersburg. Hutchison said the fire was caused by a confirmed lightning strike.