Pictured, starting from the left and working around the table:
Chief Houslet
Dennis Schad - Jackson Township
Greg Goodhue - Oxford Township
Gary Sorensen - Village of Oxford
Butch Meyer - Village of Oxford
George Benish - Jackson Township
Keith Wohlfert - Oxford Township
Chief Houslet
Dennis Schad - Jackson Township
Greg Goodhue - Oxford Township
Gary Sorensen - Village of Oxford
Butch Meyer - Village of Oxford
George Benish - Jackson Township
Keith Wohlfert - Oxford Township
Fire District Board Meets
January 2012
The Oxford Fire District Board held its first meeting for 2012 on Tuesday the 24th. Members present were Greg Goodhue (President), Gary Sorensen (Secretary-Treasurer), Butch Meyer, George Benish, Keith Wohlfert, Dennis Schad and Chief Tim Houslet. Items of discussion were: grants the fire department had applied for and received, sale of old rescue 152 to the Taylor Wisconsin Fire Department, station use policy, DNR MOU and new response fee structure for wildland fires and state DOT reimbursement policies for vehicle fires and/or extrication on state and federal highways. Following the meeting, members were given a tour of the new rescue truck.
January 2012
The Oxford Fire District Board held its first meeting for 2012 on Tuesday the 24th. Members present were Greg Goodhue (President), Gary Sorensen (Secretary-Treasurer), Butch Meyer, George Benish, Keith Wohlfert, Dennis Schad and Chief Tim Houslet. Items of discussion were: grants the fire department had applied for and received, sale of old rescue 152 to the Taylor Wisconsin Fire Department, station use policy, DNR MOU and new response fee structure for wildland fires and state DOT reimbursement policies for vehicle fires and/or extrication on state and federal highways. Following the meeting, members were given a tour of the new rescue truck.
Firefighter of the Year
January 2012
Firefighter Frank Komorowski was chosen by the department as Firefighter of the Year for 2011. Frank is one of those guys that you can count on for whatever you need done. The word "NO" is not in his vocabulary, (well, his wife Joyce will probably disagree with that). Frank is heavily relied upon to be one of the first guys at the station (he lives just behind the new station), and you will usually find him in the driver's seat of Tanker 151. Frank (and we will include Joyce) are well known in the community for the time they spend volunteering to assist at church, the snowmobile club, and of course the fire department, or wherever needed. The official presentation was made by Chief Houslet at the recent Christmas party. An accomplishment well-deserved!
January 2012
Firefighter Frank Komorowski was chosen by the department as Firefighter of the Year for 2011. Frank is one of those guys that you can count on for whatever you need done. The word "NO" is not in his vocabulary, (well, his wife Joyce will probably disagree with that). Frank is heavily relied upon to be one of the first guys at the station (he lives just behind the new station), and you will usually find him in the driver's seat of Tanker 151. Frank (and we will include Joyce) are well known in the community for the time they spend volunteering to assist at church, the snowmobile club, and of course the fire department, or wherever needed. The official presentation was made by Chief Houslet at the recent Christmas party. An accomplishment well-deserved!
First "Probie" of 2012!
January - 2012
The newest addition to our team is Jacob Drinkwater. Jake is no stranger to the department, as he lived across the street from our old station while he was growing up. Jacob is a 3rd generation firefighter, following in the footsteps of his father, retired firefighter Jim Drinkwater, and his late grandfather, Henry Phillips. All those years of climbing around on the trucks and hanging around at practices has paid off for Jake, and the department. Jacob is currently attending a Firefighter 1 course, and was welcomed by all as he was approved officially at the Thursday night meeting.
January - 2012
The newest addition to our team is Jacob Drinkwater. Jake is no stranger to the department, as he lived across the street from our old station while he was growing up. Jacob is a 3rd generation firefighter, following in the footsteps of his father, retired firefighter Jim Drinkwater, and his late grandfather, Henry Phillips. All those years of climbing around on the trucks and hanging around at practices has paid off for Jake, and the department. Jacob is currently attending a Firefighter 1 course, and was welcomed by all as he was approved officially at the Thursday night meeting.
Oxford Fire Receives Federal Grant
January 11, 2011
Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl's office announced that the Oxford Fire Department has received a FEMA grant in the amount of $21,480.00 that has been designated for new 5 inch supply hose for their department, and additional hose appliances. Oxford has carried large diameter hose (4 inch) on its pumpers for a number of years now, and this grant will allow the department to replace aging hose without additional financial burden on the taxpayers in the fire district. The large diameter hose allows the department to supply greater amounts of water to its pumpers at major fires. At one time, not too many years back, 2 1/2 inch hose was considered the largest supply line available.
January 11, 2011
Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl's office announced that the Oxford Fire Department has received a FEMA grant in the amount of $21,480.00 that has been designated for new 5 inch supply hose for their department, and additional hose appliances. Oxford has carried large diameter hose (4 inch) on its pumpers for a number of years now, and this grant will allow the department to replace aging hose without additional financial burden on the taxpayers in the fire district. The large diameter hose allows the department to supply greater amounts of water to its pumpers at major fires. At one time, not too many years back, 2 1/2 inch hose was considered the largest supply line available.
Oxford Fire Department Staff Changes
December - 2011
Oxford Fire Department members decided two years ago that the election of command staff needed to reflect an officer's skills, not just his/her popularity. Guidelines were created for each command position, from chief through lieutenant, and eligible candidates would be determined by their completion of these requirements. A considerable amount of time and thought was put in to this, by a committee of personnel, and it was adopted in our by-laws, with 2010 being the first year it was used.
Leading the department in 2012 are:
Command Officers
Chief Tim Houslet
Assistant Chief Stephen Klump
Captain Karl Spath
Captain Jarrad Jungenberg
Lieutenant John Fisher
Lieutenant Josh Kirkham
Lieutenant Cameron Klump
Lieutenant Mike Bourdeau
Administrative Officers:
Presdient Jesse Phillips
Vice-President Jason Zacharias
Secretary Stephanie Wilson
Treasurer Natasha Frederick
Congratulations!!!!
New Rescue Truck Arrives!
October - 2011
The Oxford Fire Department is proud to introduce its latest addition to the fleet.
A 1993 Spartan Rescue truck was purchased from the Webster Fire Department, near Houston, Texas, to replace our older and smaller truck. Rescue 152 offers night scene lighting as well as advanced extrication and rescue equipment, on-board air tank filling, and a command post in the cab. Additional storage space allows us to carry ice rescue equipment, as well as additional equipment that could not be carried on the older unit. By purchasing a used truck, the department saved over $300,000.00 compared to the comparable price of a new truck. The Oxford Fire District Board approved the purchase of the truck, which was partially funded by money raised by members of the fire department to help offset taxpayer burden.
Response System Now Being Used
September 2011
Assistant Chief Steve Klump gave a demonstration on a system on the IamResponding system that led to the leasing of this system. The system involves the use of firefighters' cell phones and TV screens. Basically, when a page is given out, each firefighter has a pre-programmed phone number on his/her cell phone that they push. When the call shows that it has been received, that firefighters name, and time that they called are sent to the computer program and then displayed on two LCD TV screens that are mounted in the apparatus bays. One screen is by the front door, and the other screen is by the equipment lockers. Marquette Adams Telephone Cooperative donated the second screen, while department members voted to pay for the lease, and the initial TV screen. This now allows responding firefighters to look at the screen and get an idea on how many firefighters will be responding. In the past, especially for daytime calls, you never knew how long you should wait, and who would show up. This system now allows firefighters to see who has acknowledged the page, and is heading to the station.
Join Us On FACEBOOK
September 2011
In May of this year, Firefighter (now Lieutenant) Mike Bourdeau, established the Oxford (WI) Fire Department listing on the ever-popular FACEBOOK. Mike has kept the public abreast of local department events as the year progressed, and you are encouraged to check this site out for the latest department activities. There is a neat little logo that can be added so that you can hit it and go directly to the site, but I haven't got it figured out yet, so you will just have to go there the old fashion way. It is a fun site, and you will enjoy it! We hope you will "like" us.
Oxford Fire Dept. Featured in Wisconsin Fire Journal
September 2011
The Oxford Fire Department was featured in the September/October issue of the Wisconsin Fire Journal. Each addition of the Journal features a story and pictures of a fire department from around the state. The story was written by Peter Wicklund, and photos were taken by Fred Loomis. As the article was featured before the new rescue truck arrived, you will still see the "old" Rescue 152, and as elections were held in December, there are a couple of new faces on the roster. Clicking on the download below should take you to the 3 page article.
September 2011
The Oxford Fire Department was featured in the September/October issue of the Wisconsin Fire Journal. Each addition of the Journal features a story and pictures of a fire department from around the state. The story was written by Peter Wicklund, and photos were taken by Fred Loomis. As the article was featured before the new rescue truck arrived, you will still see the "old" Rescue 152, and as elections were held in December, there are a couple of new faces on the roster. Clicking on the download below should take you to the 3 page article.
| fire_journal_.pdf |
