Central Ohio Strike Team

The Washington Township Fire Department has committed members to serve on the Central Ohio Strike Team, one of Ohio's five regional teams trained to respond in the event of a large-scale disaster (natural and man-made). This was done as part of the Ohio Fire Service Emergency Response Plan. Initiated shortly after the September 11 attack, the team is comprised of firefighters from every department in Franklin County who train on technical rescue issues, including structural collapse, confined space rescue, trench rescue, rope rescues and auto/machinery extrication. The team also provides urban search and rescue services throughout Central Ohio through the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency and each mutual aid agreement.

Northwest Area Strike Team

The Northwest Area Strike Team (NAS-T) was formed in 1980 by a group of fire departments in the northwest area of Franklin County. This organization was formed as a task force to investigate fires to determine their origin and cause, provide hazardous materials incident response, training and safety. The task force approach to addressing these operational issues has proved successful at maximizing each participating agency's resources.

While NAS-T is primarily responsible for servicing its core group of participating jurisdictions (Washington Township, Grandview Heights, Liberty Township, Norwich Township, Upper Arlington, Westerville, and Worthington.), the team's resources and expertise can also be called upon to assist other agencies throughout the county. In fact, NAS-T's effectiveness has resulted in significant funding through the Franklin County EMA.

Water Rescue

With two dams, a major river, lakes and numerous retention ponds throughout the township, water rescue is an essential component of the department's rescue operations. The department utilizes soft and hard hulled boats and a variety of specialized equipment including extensive rope retrieval systems, customized personal protection equipment including personal flotation devices with attached strobe lights, whistles and water rescue knives, cold water immersion suits, and helmets.

EMS Bike Patrol

The EMS Bike Patrol is a team of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) who use mountain bikes equipped with medical equipment and supplies to treat people with medical emergencies. The purpose of the EMS Bike Patrol is two-fold:

• to provide an alternative means by which medic personnel can reach people with medical emergencies who are not easily or rapidly accessible by medic vehicle or ambulance in a large crowd.
• to provide public education and awareness of the importance of bicycle safety. Head and brain injuries are the most common causes of death in bicycle incidents.

The EMS Bike Patrol operates in Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Basic Life Support (BLS) modes and works in cooperation with a stationary medic team at special events who provide an all terrain vehicle and additional personnel if the situation requires it.Team members complete extensive training and must be in excellent physical condition to meet the demands of this role which include riding significant distances at fast speeds to ensure quick response times.