Wickliffe public safety chiefs report Ridge Road fire, ambulance delays and equipment needs

Wickliffe — Fire Chief Grossman told council on Jan. 26 that a Jan. 13 residential fire on Ridge Road resulted in the loss of three of four household dogs; occupants and one dog escaped. Grossman said the cause is undetermined and remains under investigation. He also reported an increase in seasonal illnesses (flu, COVID) that has contributed to longer emergency-room wait times and delayed ambulance turnaround, saying crews sometimes wait an hour or more for hospital beds.

Police Chief Bush discussed capital requests for police vehicles and safety equipment, including a drone and weight equipment, and noted the department’s interest in securing its parking area. Council members suggested repurposing the adjacent old service garage for police parking rather than building a fence; Chief Bush said that building currently stores seasonal equipment and buses and has little spare room.

Chief Grossman thanked neighboring communities for mutual aid during the cold-weather response. Both chiefs and the service director discussed the operational impacts of mutual aid on response times; Fire Chief Grossman estimated mutual aid could add approximately 5 to 8 minutes to response time depending on availability.