By Cheryl Splain, KnoxPages.com Reporter
MOUNT VERNON — City Council agreed at its July 25 meeting to provide fire and EMS coverage for Liberty Township. Coverage hinges on Liberty Township residents voting to give the money generated by a 5.5-mill fire levy to the city rather than to the Central Ohio Joint Fire District.
Initial comments from city officials were that no additional manpower would be needed to take on coverage of Liberty Township. However, citing the increased coverage area, length of runs and additional business inspections in the township, Fire Chief Chad Christopher told council he recommends adding one additional firefighter/paramedic to each of the three crews. Additionally, Christopher said that motor vehicle accidents on routes 3/36 and 229 tend to be substantial incidents. Christopher said the third firefighter/paramedic assists with not having to call back for additional manpower, thus delaying response times to Knox Community Hospital or other care facility.
Liberty Township is shown in red – Wikipedia image
The projected cost for three additional paramedics for 2017 is $267,354.78. Revenue generated by the township’s 5.5-mill levy is around $260,000; this varies in relationship to property values and whether residents are delinquent in paying their taxes. In 2015, the levy collected $240,930.30. “In my opinion, it would be pretty close to just about a wash, what they will be giving us and what it’s going to cost,” said Christopher.
City Auditor Terry Scott said that if Liberty Township separates from the COJFD, there will be some investment money, in the neighborhood of $390,000, returned to the township. Scott said the money is restricted for safety services, and that in his conversations with the township trustees, it was indicated the money would come to the city. Scott said potential uses for the money include being put toward the $700,000 cost of a new pumper truck or equipping the spare medic and having four full-time units rather than three.
Another potential source of income is the money collected from billing insurance carriers for EMS runs. Mayor Richard Mavis said Liberty Township is similar to Pleasant Township in population. The city received $20,000 in EMS billing from Pleasant Township in 2015.
Councilman John Booth’s concern was response times, specifically 14 minutes from the MVFD station to Camp Road on the western edge of Liberty Township. Christopher said that is about the current response time from COJFD to the eastern side of the township and that in essence, the response times will simply be reversed on each side of the township. He also noted that longer response times are one of the trade-offs of living in the country compared to living in the city.
Councilwoman Susan Kahrl questioned whether Christopher will be seeking a raise with the additional responsibility of Liberty Township coverage. Acknowledging that is often the case, Mavis said that is not on the table at this time.
