ABOUT US

FIRE CHIEF

CHRIS BENDER
DEPARTMENT PRESS HISTORY

Around 8:50 a.m, Greg Carr, a village worker, was checking out flood defenses in the isolated spot behind the floodwall where material for the old Empire Detroit steel mill was offloaded from barges. Car saw a white Mercury Tracer hung up on a large rock on the edge of the river bank.

“He thought it was an abandoned car and then when he looked over the hillside, he saw blood and an individual lying on the rocks,” said New Boston Police Capt. Steve Goins.

The man was identified as Paul Burchett, 56, of Portsmouth.

New Boston village workers were with the man while a call for help went out to the New Boston Fire Department, the Portsmouth Fire Department, and Urgent Care.

New Boston Fire Department Chief Chris Bender said rescue workers called for mutual aid with Portsmouth because workers had ropes and other equipment to rappel down the rocky bank to get Burchett off the rocks.

 

The Portsmouth Fire Department and Police Department's boat was launched to help.

“They made good time, they were here within 15 to 20 minutes,” Goins said.

The Urgent Care emergency techs stabilized the man and loaded him onto a gurney, which was loaded onto the boat. The man was taken to a Portsmouth boat dock and then transported to Southern Ohio Medical Center.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Burchett was still being treated in SOMC's emergency department and was in stable condition.

 

 

Goins said officials aren't sure how the man fell over the bank.

“We don't know why the car is here or what happened to him,” Goins said. “There are alcohol cans laying on the ground next to his car which are the same type that are in the car, but we don't know if alcohol has anything to do with this or not.”

Police Chief Charles Horner said he was glad to see the boat his department shares with the city fire department put to good use.

“From the time we got the call from New Boston to the time the boat was put in the water was 15 minutes, which is an exceptional response time,” Horner said. “The man was rescued and back at the dock within one-half hour.”

The boat was purchased with funds from Homeland Security. Horner said there were some who questioned why police had the boat.

“I think this is the perfect example, we saved somebody's life,” he said. He also thanked Life Ambulance for putting their helicopter in the air to assist.

Welcome to the official website of the New Boston Fire Department. Please bear with us as the site is developed. We invite you to look around, and ask questions through the feedback page. Questions will be answered as time permits. Once again, thank you for your interest, and welcome. Check back often.

 

 

Our Mission

The New Boston Fire Department provides multiple discipline emergency response to the citizens of New Boston, and those that enter within the city limits. Those response disciplines include Fire Suppression, Emergency Medical Services, Hazardous Materials, and Emergency Rescue.

 

Department Profile

 

New Boston Fire Department was establish as a fully paid fire department in 1921. The fire department has grown with the Village through the years to it's current authorized strength of 8 uniformed fire personnel. Recently, financial issues necessitated that 2 firefighters be laid off. This has left the department currently with only 8 firefighters  with authorized minimum daily staffing of 2 persons per shift . We use the 3 platoon system, and work a 24 hours on and 48 hours off schedule. A Kelly Day is authorized once every 8 weeks for a  53 hour work week. Our firefighters are members of the International Association Of Firefighters Union Local 511

Response Area

Within the corporation limits of the Village of New Boston. We are also under a automatic mutual aid agreement to respond with the City of Portsmouth. And mutual aid to any other Fire Department in Scioto county.