City to join new ambulance district

CELINA - City councilors passed a resolution to create and participate in the Mercer County Joint Ambulance District, the first step toward putting a property tax levy on the ballot to pay for additional paramedics and firefighters in parts of the county.

Councilors at Monday night's regular meeting suspended the rules and passed the resolution as an emergency measure. The joint ambulance district would consist of 10 of the county's 14 townships and the municipalities of Coldwater, Rockford, Mendon, Montezuma and Celina.

The other political subdivisions have until Friday to pass similar resolutions in order for a levy to be submitted to the county board of elections by Aug. 7 to make the Nov. 5 general election.

Some officials have floated a property tax levy ranging from 0.75%-1% to hire four full-time paramedics and move to a paid-on-call system for volunteers.

Celina Mayor Jeff Hazel raised the ante, saying if Celina joined the district, officials could attempt a 1.4% tax levy, which would pay for four full-time paramedics, a paid-on-call system for volunteers and six more full-time paramedics at the Celina Fire Department.

Officials have spent many years discussing ways to ease the burden of the county EMS system, a 911-based organization providing emergency service to parts of the county. It has stations manned by volunteers in Rockford and Coldwater. Celina has paid firefighters/EMS personnel in addition to volunteers.

Last week, Hazel voiced exasperation with the current system, saying Celina's paid EMS/firefighters are burned-out from having to go on so many runs. They work 24-hour shifts and are supposed to be off for 48 hours but often are called in to help man runs, keeping them away from their families and any sense of normalcy.

The fire department has 17 positions. Currently, 14 positions are filled, but some have applied for jobs at departments in cities far outside the area where they wouldn't be required to come in on their off days, according to Hazel.

Hazel characterized the situation as a crisis.

"I've explained the dire circumstances," Hazel said on Monday night. "We do have open positions. Finding candidates is tough. They're not looking to come, but part of it is the call back.''

A properly-staffed fire department is critical for community safety and insurance ratings, Hazel argued.

"Right now they're on course to run 2,000 ambulatory runs this year. Almost half of those are outside the city, but we're the only full-time department in the (county)," he said.

By the end of August, Hazel said the fire department could be down to two shifts worth of firefighters/paramedics.

Councilman Matt Gray called for a committee meeting to "throw everything out there on the book" to attract more firefighters/emergency medical service workers and expand the number of volunteers. It was set for 6 p.m. July 8 before the next regular council meeting.

"One thing I think we can't do is sit back and just wait for the candidates to come to us," he said. "I think we need to be very proactive on this, and we need to give these guys some help and relieve some of their overtime and get them back to their families," he said.

Hazel said the city has made it easier for firefighters to transfer from other departments by switching to national testing and is looking at a cadet program to feed the fire department. A feasibility study will soon be launched to determine how to proceed with a fire department upgrade/expansion.

Councilman Eric Clausen asked if there will come a time when Celina will have to decline mutual aid. Hazel replied that Celina is contractually obligated to provide mutual aid to a few townships.

Other communities need to step up, Clausen insisted.

"We get called into mutual aid because maybe somebody's at work, they can't get off work, they don't want to get up and go on that, so we're required to go to that mutual aid call," Clausen said. "Can we put some pressure on these other communities - or can the county - that they kind of get some commitments from the people that said they would do this so that we're not asking our guys to go there every time because somebody else won't get up?"

At some point, Celina may have to say, "Hey, we can't help you," Clausen said.

Hard discussions have to take place, he said.

"But maybe that's what needs to happen. In the meantime, to say, 'Hey, you've got to help us out here or we're going to get stuck leaving you high and dry,' because if we go down to two shifts, we can't go on mutual aid," Clausen said. "We're responsible for the citizens of Celina only, and I think we've got to take that position if it gets to that point."