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Our commitment to the citizens and those who visit our community is to protect life and property from the adverse effects of fire, sudden medical, environmental, and other emergencies, both natural and man-made, by maintaining a network of fire prevention, fire suppression, emergency medical services, and specialized rescue teams. Through education, training, communications, and regional services, we will provide quality services in the most efficient, cost effective, and professional manner possible.
History
Since officially forming the Town of Beloit Fire Department in the summer of 1956, the Fire Department has been providing quality emergency services to residents and visitors in the area. In the beginning, the Town hired Chief Charles J. Morris as the first Fire Chief who was given the task to build a fire station, order equipment, including the first fire engine, recruit firefighters, and train them. The original volunteer roster of 25 men began training in the basics of firemanship in September 1956 using the Town Hall as their classroom. In February 1957, the current Fire Station #1 was dedicated and the Fire Department officially went into business with the first structure fire occurring the next day at Pat’s Market on Madison Road. In 1969, Fire Station #2 on Inman Parkway was built and currently also serves as the Town Police Department.
Through the years, the Town’s needs were such that a combination full-time/paid-on-call department was warranted to provide for the needs of the area. Today, the Fire Department consists of ten full-time firefighters, including the Chief and Assistant Chief, and thirty-one paid-on-call firefighters. The firefighters are divided up into three platoons with three full-time and ten paid-on-call firefighters assigned to each platoon divided between the two stations.
Department Chief
In October 2004, the Town Board appointed Fire Chief Dennis Ahrens as Town of Beloit Fire Chief. He was appointed in May 1989 Assistant Chief Dennis Ahrens and has been with the department since 1973. Chief Ahrens began his career with the Town of Beloit as a volunteer working his way up through the paid ranks. He has previously served as a Company Officer, Training & Safety Officer, and Union President. He holds numerous certifications in the fire service and an Associates Degree from Blackhawk Technical College . He is actively involved in the multi-jurisdictional Fire Cause and Origin Team serving as President. Chief Ahrens can be contacted at 608-364-2994.
Operations Division
The operations division provides emergency response to fires of all types, rescues to include vehicle extrications, and emergency medical calls. Fire suppression activities also include investigating situations that are fire related such as automatic fire alarm activations, smoke or odor investigations, power line or transformer problems, and flammable fuel spills or leaks.
A typical response to structural related fire calls including activated fire alarms would include three engine companies, an ambulance, and in rural areas, a tanker. In addition, we would receive an additional automatic-aid engine company and in rural areas, an additional tanker under our automatic aid agreement(s). If the call originates in any of our schools or one of several targeted buildings, an
additional engine company or truck company (aerial) also responds. This additional assistance is a valuable tool in controlling a fire early and to meet the resources needed on the scene. Should additional help be needed beyond this, the fire department is part of the MABAS mutual aid system – Division 104 Rock County
During 2007, the Fire Department responded to 1,186 emergency calls that are divided into the following categories:
- Fire (structure, vehicle, grass, rubbish) 87: $385,700 loss
- Overpressure Rupture/Explosion/Overheat 10
- Rescue & Emergency Medical Services 953
- Hazardous Conditions (No Fire) 6
- Service Calls 53
- Good Intent 17
- False Alarm/Call 34
- Severe Weather 13
- Special Incident 13
Mutual Aid Assistance
Because appointments are not possible in emergency services, the Fire Department maintains mutual aid agreements with over 800 Fire Departments in Wisconsin , Illinois , and Missouri through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS). Rock County is known as MABAS Division 104 and includes all fire departments within Rock County . Realistically, we receive and provide mutual aid assistance with emergency services in Rock and Walworth Counties in Wisconsin and Winnabago and Boone Counties in Illinois on a regular basis.
There are two types of mutual aid assistance that we utilize, one is automatic mutual aid and the other utilizes the MABAS Box Alarm System. While they may sound familiar, they each have a benefit to enhance our services.
Automatic mutual aid response is a pre-arranged response agreement to provide or receive immediate response to predetermined type of incidents and locations from another department. This provides the affected department with additional resources to mitigate an incident, such as a working fire, in the early stages. By doing this, the damage is generally lower and the injuries to civilians and firefighters are reduced. Currently, our department has automatic response agreements with Turtle, Orfordville, Janesville and City of Beloit Fire Departments .
The other form of mutual aid assistance is the MABAS mutual aid system. This system consists of over 800 departments in Wisconsin , Illinois , and recently Missouri and provides assistance to each other in the event of an emergency that is beyond the normal capabilities of a community and its surrounding neighbors through a single contractual agreement. Pre-determined “Box Cards” outline what specific equipment is to respond to a specific type of incident. This brings endless resources and manpower to the stricken department in an orderly and structured fashion.
Specialty Teams
In recent years, many fire departments have taken on the additional responsibilities of providing assistance in mitigating emergencies in areas not traditionally serviced by fire service personnel. These emergencies are hazardous materials response, confined space, high angle, and technical rescue. While these types of emergencies do occur, the personnel with these abilities have joined forces and resources with other members within our MABAS agreement to provide a strong background in training, response, mitigation, and resources that is cost prohibitive for individual departments. At the present time, the fire department participates in the following regional response programs:
Stateline Technical Rescue Team
Regional Response Team
- Technical Rescues
- Hazardous Materials
Cause and Origin Team
All of these response teams conduct their training on a regular basis to remain proficient in these areas of expertise.
Emergency Medical Services
When a medical emergency arises, members of the Fire Department are trained to provide care at the Emergency Medical Technician Advanced Level. Part of the Beloit Memorial Hospital EMS System, twenty-six of our personnel are trained to provide emergency medical services. We have two fully - equipped ambulances and three fully-equipped engines to provide emergency medical care. We have the option to call Paramedic intercepts from either the City of Beloit or the City of Janesville for more critically ill or injured patients. We also utilize area Medical Helicopters to fly critically injured trauma patients to area trauma centers.
We are fortunate to have Trauma Designated Hospitals both in Rockford Illinois and Madison Wisconsin for critically injured patients or high-risk medical conditions within flight minutes of our jurisdiction.
Currently, our department along with departments in Rock County Wisconsin is participating in project study to change the mitigation protocols for the use of CPR in cardiac arrest patients by utilizing a procedure called CCR or Chest-Compression Resuscitation. The project is impacting the education of and interventions performed by 4 main groups of individuals: laypersons, 9-1-1 dispatchers, first responders, and pre-hospital EMS personnel. The goal of this project is to optimize the performance and effectiveness of the early links in the chain of survival: calling for help, providing CPR, and defibrillation. The changes proposed do not involve the introduction of “new” therapies; rather they represent a reprioritization and reorganization of established treatments. Implementation of these will result in substantial improvements in survival rates for victims of sudden cardiac death.
Captain Emett Harold (eharold@town.beloit.wi.us) serves as the Fire Department EMS Coordinator and can be reached at 608-364-2997 Extension 41
Training
The training division coordinates all training, including engine company tactics and strategy, fire simulations, apparatus operations, EMT-B and EMT-I instruction and continuing education, hazardous materials response, auto extrication, rescue, confined space, wildland firefighting, and State or Federal mandated programs. The training and continuing education programs provided adhere to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Department of Public Health, and State standards. These are further supported by the department’s involvement in our MABAS Division’s training, Blackhawk Technical College Fjre/EMS Advisory Training Committee, and the Beloit Memorial Hospital EMS System.
All of the department firefighters are mandated to be certified to the Firefighter II level within two years of appointment, to include Hazardous Materials Operations and Terrorism Awareness. The Firefighter program is taught through Blackhawk Technical College with several department Instructors serving as lead instructors in the program. Both full-time and paid on call personnel train weekly in order to remain proficient in their individual skills.
Personnel trained as emergency medical technicians also are required to spend time annually in the hospital setting and surgical units to be evaluated by Physicians and the Project Medical Director on their skills.
The department has a Training Committee with a make up of both full-time and paid-on-call and is responsible for planning, coordinating, and conducting training for all personnel. The committee meets on a frequent basis to discuss up-coming training agendas and to discuss training needs of the department. The committee is also responsible for managing the annual paid-on-call recruitment hiring process. The committee conducts oral interviews, written entry exams, and practical testing. The finalist’s names are then submitted to the Chiefs for a final interview.
Assistant Chief Gene Wright (gwright@town.beloit.wi.us) serves as the Training and Safety Officer and can be reached at 608-364-2997 Extension 40.
Fire Prevention and Public Education
Lieutenent Glen Hennig (ghennig@town.beloit.wi.us) and Norm Nitz (nnitz@town.beloit.wi.us) head the Fire Prevention Bureau. Routine fire prevention inspections and assignments are conducted by our full-time personnel at all businesses in the Town of Beloit and the Town of Rock . This includes pre-incident planning and identification of special hazards or conditions based on the particular business. The Town of Beloit has adopted NFPA 1 and Wisconsin Com 14 by Ordinance as the fire Codes. The department also by Ordinance adopted the KNOX Box system to provide a means for immediate access to area businesses 24 hours a day.
In 2007, the department conducted 550 fire inspections. During the inspections, 288 violations were noted and recorded. The most common violations were:
- Electrical violations (open wires, open boxes, defective wiring)
- Misuse of extension cords
- Extinguisher violations
- Exit light violations
- Blocked or locked exits
- Unsecured cylinders
- Improper exit hardware
- Safety can violations for flammable liquids.
You may contact Lieutenant Henning at 608-364-2997 Extension 46 or our Deputy Fire Inspector Scott Fisher at 364-2997 Extension 42 .
Public Education Programs are coordinated by Norm Nitz (nnitz@town.beloit.wi.us) and include a variety of topics that promote fire and life safety throughout the home and community. Personnel work with area schools to conduct classes both in the schools and in the Survive Alive House (www.jvlnet.com/fire/safety.html) located behind Fire Station #1. The house, built by firefighters from a number of area departments, is similar to any home with the exception that theatrical smoke allows us to create conditions that children and adults, would be faced with in the event of a residential fire. There are also a wide variety of topics that range from fire safety education to fire station tours and visits to neighborhood block parties. You may contact Norm Nitz at 608-364-2997 Extension. 39.
Burning Ordinance
In order to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the Town of Beloit the following outlines restrictions relating to burning.
Recreational Burns
Recreational burns (camp fires) shall be limited to natural wood or natural products with the base of the fire not to exceed thirty six (36) inches in diameter, with the flames not exceeding thirty-six (36) inches in height and MUST be thirty feet (30’) from any structure. The burning of treated wood in any form, garbage, food products, paper products or cardboard, manure, plastic and rubber is prohibited. All fires including the use of, but not limited to, fire pits, or free standing fire containers shall be no less than thirty (30) feet from any combustible material or structure. Free standing fire containers shall not be on any deck made of combustible materials that is adjacent or connected to any portion of any type of structure.
Seasonal Burns
Open burning of natural wood and leaves shall be allowed within the Town of Beloit during the months of April, October and November of each year under the following restrictions:
- Burning of dry products shall be limited to such items as natural wood and wood products and leaves
- Burning may only occur between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
- All burning MUST occur at least fifty feet (50’) away from all structures and combustible materials
- Fires must be doused if they generate smoke that may obscure a public roadway, or in another way pose a threat to public safety
- Adequate means of dousing the fire must be at hand during burning.
If you have any other questions regarding burning, please contact the station at 608-364-2997.
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Website edited by Bea Lengjak