The Reily Township Volunteer Fire Department in Butler County Ohio was established in 1947. We began fire service to the community with the purchase of our first fire truck. This first truck was housed in the old town opera house. Since these humble beginnings sixty nine years ago, we have grown and now have two fire stations, with the latest addition at Woods Station completed in 2012. This addition was totally paid for with Community Development Block Grant funds.
In 1998, faced with the loss of a private company providing life squad coverage for our community, a decision was made for the fire department to expand the scope of responsibility to include EMS services at the Township level.
In 2004 some of our volunteers who are farmers saw the need for a large animal rescue unit. Fund raisers were held and the Butler Rural Electric Cooperative provided several grants to purchase specialized equipment for animal rescue. Two of our firefighters attended a three day class at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky to learn the basics of animal rescue. We have the only large animal rescue unit in Butler County and provide mutual aid to the entire County. We have rescued horses who climbed the stairs to the hay loft, cattle who broke through the ice and became stuck in a pond, farm animals from manure pits and mud and a 3000 pound bull that slipped on the ice and was unable to get up. We were able to move this bull to the warmth and comfort of the barn.
Reily Township contains 36 square miles and is the most rural and agricultural Township in Butler County. We are very proud of our up to date equipment. We have 2 front line pumpers that each carries 1000 gallons of water, 2 – 2100 gallon tankers, 1-3100 gallon takner, 2 – 4 wheel drive brush trucks, 3 life squads, a large animal unit with 1000 gallons of water, a EMS gator, and a rescue truck equipped with a V plow to clear long driveways from drifting snow in front of the squad. ( Quite possibly the only one in the state.) This equipment is divided between 2 fire stations. One is located in the center of the Township in the village of Reily. The other is in the north east part of the Township, Woods Station, which is a more densely populated area.
We are a 100% volunteer department of 32 members. Our 32 Volunteers include; 2 Fire Instructors 2 EMS instructor / 1 CEU instructors 2 fire inspectors
Of the 32 members 9 are EMS only 12 are Fire Only 11 are Fire/EMS cross-trained
On certification EMS: 2 are EMR 14 are EMT - B 2 is EMT - P
Fire: 11 are Volunteer Firefighter 7 are Firefighter Level I 3 are Firefighter Level II 2 mounted search and rescue members 2 large animal rescue
We are an EMS CEU approved training site, number 2045. We can offer in-house CEU training to our own EMTs as well as those from neighboring departments. We hosted a two day farm extrication training in cooperation with The Ohio State University. One afternoon was spent on the farm viewing different equipment and grain handling facilities. We offer CPR certified training for health care providers as well as Friends and Family CPR for community members.
Our department participates in Fire Prevention Week. We bring our motorized robot to the schools and present a fire safety program. We participate in homecoming and 4th of July parades. At our local Founders Day in June we will participate in the parade and present an extrication demonstration.
We have great support from our community both on tax levies and fund raisers. Our Auxiliary hosts an annual fish fry with 900 dinners served in 3 ½ hours. All the profit goes to the benefit of the fire department. We have a Halloween open house for the community. It includes a haunted fire house room and candy and pop corn for everyone. Many families request donations to the Reily Township Volunteer Fire Department and EMS in memory of their deceased loved ones in lieu of flowers. To promote the feeling of the fire department family we have summer swims and a fall cook-out for members and their families.
We have been very successful in obtaining local, state and federal grants to alleviate the financial burden to our tax-payers.
Mutual Aid to neighboring communities account for 20% of our runs because of our ability to move water in areas without fire flow water system. We can respond with over 7200 gallons of water. Because we do not require all members to be cross trained, our squad and EMTs are often called to provide mutual aid firefighter rehab. We have a cool down area and chairs to help the firefighters recover from their exertion. We monitored vital signs and provide bottles of water and electrolytes to the firefighters.
The Reily Township Volunteer Fire Department and EMS is in good standing with the State of Ohio. Our 200 – 250 runs are reported to the state in a timely manner. We are active in local public education and local fire training. We have demonstrated positive relationships with the community. We take meaningful and visible steps to assure the professionalism of our personnel and provide a quality in-service fire and EMS training program.
