Turkey Creek Township Fire Board Monday welcomed Brian Richcreek, a full-time member of the fire department since 1998, to the recently created position of deputy chief of operations.

Richcreek said he will “design and develop a full training system to use throughout the whole fire department to meet all the training that OSHA, ISO and the National Fire Protection Association require.

“They set the standard for training for career and volunteer firefighters,” he said. “I will use their guidelines and requirements. I look forward to the opportunity to serve the department and the community.”

Richcreek will begin his duties Jan. 14 to accommodate the department’s work schedule. “We work a 27-day work cycle which ends on the 13th,” said Fire Chief Mickey Scott.

“We interviewed a lot of candidates” and Richcreek “fit the position very well,” said Scott. “This should make it a lot smoother operation. It’s a long-term goal, and this is a start to where we want to go.”

Scott wrapped up the year with his final budget report. As of the end of November, the department has used just over 74 percent of its allocated funds.

Not figured into the expenditures are several payments made earlier this month, including holiday pay, a payment for the volunteer fire and EMS contract and an annual insurance premium. Further, Scott anticipated an increase in overtime and part-time expenses to cover employees who have scheduled vacation and personal time later this month.

Even with those 11th hour outlays, however, Scott said there will be no budget overruns.

Scott reported a decrease in premiums for the department’s accident and sickness policy, based on the “number of claims and the amount of those claims,” he said.

“This indicates that our staff, both career and volunteer, have done an excellent job with safety this year in preventing accidents from occurring on the job,” said Scott.

In other business:

• The department responded to 22 fire calls and 93 EMS calls in November. The 115 calls run slightly above the year’s monthly average of 112.

• Scott is awaiting a date for the pre-construction meeting with Penn Care for the new ambulance ordered in October.

• The department’s 2012 ambulance was recently struck by a deer, which ran into the passenger side, causing damage to the door and ambulance box. The ambulance was taken in for repairs Monday, Dec. 14, and repairs are expected to take at least a week. The department will maintain one ambulance at each fire station pending the repairs.

• The physical fitness equipment ordered last month will be delivered and installed in Fire Station 1 in Syracuse Monday, Dec. 21. “We have spoken with the Syracuse Police Department and offered the use of the equipment to their members,” said Scott, “and they will start sending officers there.”

The board will next meet at 6:45 p.m. Monday, Jan. 11, at Syracuse Town Hall.