MOUNT VERNON – Mount Vernon City Council approved a $500,000 fire and emergency medical service contract with College Township by a 4-3 vote on Monday night.
Council President Bruce Hawkins had to break a tie.
Councilmembers Samantha Scoles, Tammy Woods and John Francis voted against the five-year contract; while Tanner Salyers, Mike Hillier and Janis Seavolt voted to approve it. But when Julia Warga abstained from voting, Hawkins had the rare opportunity to vote, which is limited to breaking ties. When he voted for the contract, it was approved.
Hillier asked Fire Chief Chad Christopher to provide updates to council after the first three months of the contract and again in six months. The contract requires the City and Township to evaluate and make adjustments to the contract before June 1, 2024.
Before council voted, George Kopsick spoke on behalf of College Township. He said they wanted long-term financial viability. They want to cover the City’s costs for providing fire protection and EMS. He said if costs change, the Township will work with the City to make sure they cover those costs.
College Township had 200 emergency-call runs in 2020, he said. The $500,000 annual contract works out to $2,500 a run.
“I think we’re covering our costs,” Kopsick said.
Mount Vernon gains a 3.9% increase in runs with an 11% increase in its budget, he said.
In a committee meeting, Christopher answered questions raised in a previous council meeting.
He said the City replaces fire engines every three or four years and rescue vehicles every five years.
The Township is providing five vehicles for City use. These include 2008 and 2012 ambulances, a 2008 fire engine, a 2003 grass truck and a 2017 command vehicle.
“College Township has a very good supply of fire equipment in service range,” Christopher said.
Firefighters’ gear has a 10-year shelf life, he said. With the Township contract, the City will go from buying four or five sets of gear per year to seven. Radios have an eight-year shelf life, with three or four replacements bought annually.
All lieutenants with the Fire Department are fire safety inspectors, so adding College Township inspections should not be a problem, Christopher said. Fire Safety Inspector Terry Davis had been handling the bulk of inspections, but he will oversee other inspectors because one person cannot handle every inspection of the more than 1,000 businesses in the city.
Council approved promoting three firefighters to lieutenant to cover shifts at the fire station in Gambier. Council also gave approval to hire up to 25 part-time firefighters.
Part-time firefighters are in Mount Vernon’s future, he said. It costs the City approximately $100,000 a year for a full-time firefighter. The City can fill full-time positions that become vacant from its part-time ranks.
Christopher told Hawkins that current fire and EMS staff are supportive of the contract as it adds more room for advancement.
He told Salyers that without a fire contract, College Township would close its fire station. That would leave neighboring fire departments to cover calls. The risk for accidents on those longer trips would put firefighters more at risk.
