Editor’s Note: This article was updated June 11 at 5:45 p.m. to include comments from Monroe Township Fire Chief Aaron Halcomb.
MORRIS TOWNSHIP — Starting next month, some Morris Township residents will have new fire and EMS coverage.
Effective July 1, the Monroe Township Fire Department will pick up coverage in the southeastern portion of Morris Township.
“Part of it has to do with response time,” Morris Township Trustee Dan Humphrey said.
“Because of the proximity of Monroe Township, the [Morris] township trustees did make the decision as of July 1 that we will allow them to come into the district.”
The Fredericktown Community Fire District and Fredericktown EMS provide coverage for residents in Precinct A in Morris Township. That coverage is not changing.
“As far as the residents go, they will not see any difference.”
Morris Township trustee dan humphrey
For Precinct B, the township contracts with the Mount Vernon Fire Department. Precinct B residents pay a 4-mill fire/EMS levy.
“We will still pay Mount Vernon City for coverage through Dec. 31, 2026. Monroe is willing to cover. When coverage ends with Mount Vernon, we will negotiate with Monroe and also with Mount Vernon,” Humphrey said.
“The voters have agreed to pay 4 mills for coverage. They will still be getting the coverage, and Monroe is getting paid through soft billing.”
Monroe’s coverage area in Morris Township
Monroe’s coverage is as follows:
The area bounded on the north by Crooked Street and North Liberty Road, on the east by the Morris/Monroe township line, on the south by the Morris Township/Mount Vernon City line, and on the west by Fairgrounds Road, including the subdivisions west of Old Mansfield Road (Windsor Heights Drive, Maple Lane, Heritage Lane, Legacy Court, Eldon Drive, Nelson Drive, and Becky Lane) and thence west along Beckley Road to the intersection of Crooked Street.
Monroe Township will also pick up coverage for The Laurels of Mount Vernon on Avalon Road.
The MVFD will continue covering the remaining portion of Precinct B.
“The residents need to realize they are still going to get adequate coverage,” Humphrey said. “If Monroe can get to the site better and faster, that’s great.
“The bottom line is people in the community are going to get the best coverage we can provide in a timely manner and with quality staff.”
‘Incredibly frustrated’
Mount Vernon Safety-Service Director Tanner Salyers said the city is concerned Morris Township trustees made the decision based on incorrect response time information.
“We feel that some figures that were cited and some of the examples cited were not accurate and did not paint a correct picture for the trustees to make an accurate assessment and for the people to feel comfortable with this decision,” he said.
Salyers said residents in Precinct B pay their property taxes expecting Mount Vernon fire/EMS to respond with its paramedics, staff, experience, and equipment.
“We have a contract. In the middle of that contract, the trustees and Monroe Township Fire/EMS made a decision, excluding the city and the will of the voters, to change a primary provider mid-stream,” he said.
“That hasn’t been effectively communicated to the public, as it wasn’t effectively communicated to the city.
“We do not support this decision,” he continued. “We are incredibly frustrated with how this has gone down.”
Salyers said there was a lack of professional courtesy when the trustees did not invite the city to discuss the issue. Instead, the township notified the city after it passed the resolution changing the coverage.
The township notified the city the day before the trustees held a special meeting to discuss the resolution they passed. Mount Vernon Fire Chief Chad Christopher attended the meeting.
According to the MVFD, the response to Morris Township Precinct B is under eight minutes 73% of the time. The average response time is 7 minutes, 36 seconds.
Automated response
According to Salyers, city officials recently discussed similar coverage concerns with Liberty Township.
“They had some residents who were concerned about response times, and that was a valid question,” he said. “We worked out an amicable solution with the residents, the township, and the Central Ohio Joint Fire District.”
The solution reached with Liberty Township is automatic response. On specific calls, such as cardiac or trauma events, in a specific area, the 911 dispatch center tones both COJFD and MVFD. Whichever one can get there first provides the most and best care.
“If we were brought to the table, maybe something like that could have been arranged [with Morris Township] if we felt like that was a legitimate answer to a legitimate problem,” Salyers said.
‘Proximity makes sense’
Monroe Township Fire Chief Aaron Halcomb said he discussed the potential change in coverage with Chief Christopher in February and invited him to the March Morris Township trustee meeting.
There was also email correspondence with city officials.
Halcomb said “the proximity of it is what makes sense.”
The Monroe fire station on Wooster Road is much closer to the contract area than Mount Vernon’s station. Additionally, Monroe went to full-time, 24/7 coverage starting June 1.
“We were staffed 12 hours seven days a week. Now we’re staffed 24 hours seven days a week. With that being said, we can now guarantee a good response,” Halcomb said.
“Monroe Township’s proximity to the coverage area that is in this contract — the proximity of it is what makes sense.”
Monroe Township will also provide coverage for the Mount Vernon Developmental Center starting July 1.
As a state-owned facility, MVDC requires 24/7 fire and EMS coverage. With the department going to 24/7 staffing in June, Monroe Township now meets those requirements.
MVDC currently contracts with Mount Vernon for coverage for $18,000 annually. Because MVDC is in Monroe Township, the state will no longer incur that cost.
