ORWELL — Village officials announced Friday an Aug. 4 roadway incident involving a fire truck responding to a call on Route 322 and their response to it.
“On August 5, village management was formally notified by the Ohio State [Highway] Patrol and Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Department that a collision had occurred on Route 322 involving an Orwell Fire Department vehicle responding to the emergency call,” a press release from the village states.
The vehicle was traveling through a construction zone and struck multiple construction barrels, according to the release. Two senior department officials were placed on administrative suspension.
“The Village’s policy clearly states any employee involved in a workplace accident is required to immediately report the incident and undergo standard post-incident testing,” the release states.
The release said first responders on the scene failed to report the incident to village management, resulting in administrative suspensions pending investigation.
“Following a review of dispatch logs, video footage, and witness testimony from the construction site, it was confirmed that the fire truck was traveling at a high rate of speed and caused damage upon impact with construction safety equipment,” the release states.
“The village places the highest priority on the safety of our residents, our emergency responders, and the broader community they serve,” Village Council President Christopher Ruks said in the release. “Massive fire trucks traveling at unsafe speeds, particularly through active construction areas, present a significant hazard.
“We regret that this incident placed construction workers at risk, and we are grateful no lives were lost. The Village is taking immediate steps to reinforce training, review operational procedures, and implement stronger accountability measures to prevent a recurrence.”
Because of staffing issues caused by the suspensions, the village received assistance from the Windsor the Wayne fire departments and recruited new firefighters, the release states.
“Shane Gregory stepped forward as Interim Fire Chief and worked in close coordination with Village Manager Sean Ratican to stabilize staffing levels,” Ruks said in the release.
The new staff have fire fighter II certifications and are certified EMTs, he said.
“This represents a significant upgrade for our department and positions us to deliver a stronger, more reliable level of service to the residents of Orwell moving forward.” he said.
During the course of the investigation, Assistant Fire Chief Scott Merlino tendered his resignation, according to the release.
Merlino did not return a message seeking comment.
