Deerfield Firefighters Association - Portage County

10/26/2025

...Elected... Thank you

10/07/2025

Compassion & Integrity.
Thank you to Deerfield Trustees Tiffany & Laura and Trustee candidate Vaughn Sutcliffe, our (retired Fire Chief), for coming to the cemetery yesterday to show respect for Deerfield resident and former firefighter Bob Abbuhl as he was laid to rest.

10/06/2025

Rest in peace Bob, thank you for your years of service to the Deerfield Fire Department.

Today, our community mourns the loss of one of our own, Robert (Bobby) Abbuhl, who left us far too soon after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

For over 18 years, Bobby dedicated his life to the Palmyra Fire Department. He wasn’t just a firefighter—he was a constant presence at nearly every community event. Whether it was Trunk or Treat, the Easter Egg Hunt, the Fire Department Open House, Breakfast with Santa, or our annual boot drive, one thing was certain: Bobby was always there. His steady presence and quiet service became part of the heartbeat of Palmyra.

Even in the face of his own health struggles, Bobby’s commitment never wavered. In his final months, while enduring the side effects of chemotherapy, he continued to answer emergency calls whenever he could. Knowing the risks of being immunocompromised, he still told his Chief that as long as the call wasn’t for someone who was sick, if he was able to help, he wanted to be there. That was Bobby - selfless, humble, and dedicated to the very end.

At the August Fire Department Open House, Bobby was once again in his element: smiling at the grill as the department’s grill master, laughing with neighbors, and showing children the thrill of using the fire hose. Those small moments captured his spirit—someone who gave quietly, joyfully, and wholeheartedly.

As a firefighter, Bobby’s love for the equipment made him one of the finest engineers our Chief ever had the privilege to work with. He could step up to the pump panel during a fire without hesitation, ensuring that the water was running smoothly when it mattered most. Bob was comfortable being the one behind the scenes—never seeking the spotlight, but always willing to be exactly where he was needed. His dedication wasn’t for recognition or accolades; it was because he truly loved serving his department and his community.

Beyond his service, Bob was a devoted husband and a loving father. His love for his family was just as steadfast as his love for his community, and both were at the core of who he was.

Today, in his honor, we lowered the flag at the Palmyra Fire Department to half-staff. It is a small gesture compared to the endless dedication he gave to us all, but it is done with the deepest respect and gratitude.

Palmyra has lost a neighbor, a protector, and a friend. We have lost a true hometown hero. Our hearts are broken, but we stand together to lift Bob’s family in love and support. May his legacy of quiet service, loyalty, and love continue to inspire us all.

Rest in peace, Bobby. Your light will not be forgotten.

03/31/2024

02/12/2024

A recent post in the Deerfield News page and the Deerfield Township discussion group page has brought up some questions in regard to Mutual Aid responses from other departments. The current fire department manager did come in and change the response plan, unfortunately extending response times to EMS calls & major incidents. Example, a recent call had a Sebring Ambulance responding to Yale Rd. on the Edinburg / Palmyra boarder.
Under previous Chief Sutcliffe we had a distinct and easy to use MABAS response policy. MABAS, which stands for Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, is supposed to give the initial responding unit an easy way to ask the dispatcher for enough recourses to operate safely at the larger scale event that they are responding on. Example: all I would need to say on the radio to dispatch is "activate my zone 1 MABAS box" and I would get the closest most appropriate units designated to that box (see picture). This would save me from having to ask for each department individually over the radio while driving and trying to set up a plan in my head of safely handling the situation before I get there. Here are pictures of the Previous MABAS policy which is no longer part of the Deerfield Fire Department response plan. You may ask why Sebring is responding the most from 12 miles away, it may be because Scott Dean is still on the Sebring Fire Departments roster.

02/07/2024

Vaughn Sutcliffe has been a lifelong resident of the Deerfield community, having graduated from Southeast High School in 1985. His Family has been involved with the Deerfield Fire Department from it's beginning in 1947, with his Father being a founding member, his Great Uncle being one of the early Fire Chiefs, both of his Brothers were members through the 70s. In 1986 Vaughn went to school to become a firefighter and EMT while at the same time going to electronics school and working full-time as a TV repairman. Over the years he rose through the ranks from firefighter to Captain, Assistant Chief and finally Fire Chief. He currently works full-time at Astra Products in Ravenna and has been there for 23 years. At the beginning of the April 2023 trustees meeting, Vaughn was pulled into an executive session and was unceremoniously removed of his Chiefs title by then trustees Ed & Mark, to make way for their new fire chief, this just 3 weeks before the May 1st date that Vaughn had planed to retire from the fire department, (they couldn't wait 3 more weeks)...
Chief, we thank you for your service to our community and to the 41 years that you have dedicated to our department, you are certainly missed.

02/04/2024

Bob Abbuhl joined the fire department in 2015, living very close to the station he was able to respond to calls quickly. In 2017 he was promoted to Lieutenant and received his Emergency Medical Responder certification so that he could help more on EMS calls. Bob was able to get us much needed wildfire equipment after a successful grant application in 2018, he also was in charge of maintaining our air packs. He had great knowledge in rural water movement at fires and helped us stay proficient at it. With his mechanic background, we often had Bob work on issues that we had with the trucks so that they did not have to be sent out as often, this saving the Township money. Unfortunately, Bob decided to resign last year and Join the Palmyra fire department, we would like to thank you for all that you have done for Deerfield Bob.

01/31/2024

Mitchell Graf joined the Deerfield fire department in 2019, as a fire fighter/ EMT he averaged 20+ hours a week at the station to keep it staffed. He was promoted to EMS Coordinator in 2022 and was in charge of making sure everyone had the correct certifications, that we had enough supplies for the ambulance as well as going over EMS reports to make sure the were submitted correctly and without delay. Unfortunately, Mitchell left last year after the new Chief was appointed. He now is finishing paramedic school and dedicates his time to the Berlin & Palmyra Township fire departments. Mitch, thank you for the time and dedication that you gave for the township.

01/26/2024

Nick lam Joined the Deerfield Fire Department in 2007, after getting his 36 hour fire certification, he proceeded to go to EMT school and earned his national registry EMT certificate as well. He kept his EMT certification until 2018 while he was enrolled in and earned a master's degree in business management at YSU. During his time as an EMT he covered shifts at the station and was even awarded the (Star of Life) from the state of Ohio for his action, when he was involved in a very serious call. In 2008 He was promoted to Lieutenant and then in 2021 he was promoted to Assistant Chief.
His accomplishments while serving; Ambulance committee, Rescue boat committee, (he was a huge part in Deerfield getting the boat), He wrote and published several Levy letters to promote the levies that support the FD, he completed and submitted all incident reports to the State, he was the incident commander on several large incidents, not to mention many other things that he did to help the community. Nick was well respected by all members of the department and was great mentor and educator.
Unfortunately, after the new fire chief was appointed, there was no attempt to reach out to Nick and after a month and a half without any communication, Nick felt that he was no longer wanted or needed so he decided to resign from the Fire department. Nick, the Association sincerely thanks you for your 16 years of dedication and leadership that you gave to our department.

01/21/2024

Tim McCoy (pictured here with his son Derek), joined the Deerfield fire department in 2004, became an EMT, advanced EMT, and then EMS coordinator for our fire department. Tim's full time job was at Robinson Memorial then University Hospitals in the emergency department as a technician. He retired from the fire department in 2023.
Now completely retired from both jobs, he's enjoying time with family and his granddaughters. Thank you Tim for your 19 years of service to our department and Township.

01/15/2024

Chuck Little joined the Deerfield fire department in 1972, his actual career was as a teacher but as a resident of Deerfield, he felt a calling to give more. He became a fire fighter and paramedic and stayed with the department for 51 years. During that time he was a leader and a mentor, rising through the ranks from firefighters to captain, assistant Chief to acting Chief. I think it is safe to say that Chuck was known to be the face of the fire department, he retired from DFD in the fall of 2023. Chuck we want to thank you for your many years of dedication to our community and our department.

01/15/2024

Happy new year, we have tried to take a bit of a break from Facebook to give the new department management a chance to move the department forward. Without focusing on recent community concerns and posts, we thought we would give credit where it was due but not given. Over the next few posts, we would like to recognize the men and women who dedicated their time and part of their lives to our department, we thank you for your dedication to the community of Deerfield. "It's not just a job, it's a passion"...