The Year in Review: Fire consolidation off to slow start

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by Eric Marotta

Editor

Nordonia Hills -- After a slow start, community leaders formed a steering committee and are formulating plans for the consolidation of fire and emergency medical services.

The consolidation was suggested by a $30,000 study Macedonia, Northfield Center, Northfield Village, Sagamore Hills and Boston Heights commissioned in 2006.

In previous years, the communities had discussed forming a fire district, a separate government entity that would be supported by its own tax levy and overseen by its own board of directors.

The consolidation study, which was delivered in April, includes recommendations on ways for area fire departments to combine forces instead.

Although the report was delivered in April, the communities didn't all take action until late summer, when Sagamore Hills and Northfield Center approved resolutions appointing the trustee chairmen to a steering committee responsible for coordinating the consolidation.

Macedonia appointed Mayor Don Kuchta in May and Northfield Village appointed Mayor Victor Milani in June.

Boston Heights has thus far not agreed to join the committee.

The townships -- which had been negotiating a new fire service contract under which Northfield Center would continue to serve Sagamore Hills -- joined after Milani made an offer to have the village fire department cover the northern half of Sagamore Hills, then rescinded the offer after accusing Sagamore Hills Trustee Paul Schweikert of rejecting the proposal and denigrating the village fire department.

Schweikert said the village should bring its department to full-time status before Sagamore Hills would consider an arrangement.

Both Milani and Schweikert, who did not seek reelection, have said they feel the communities need to work together to implement all recommendations of the consolidation study.

Macedonia Fire Chief Tim Black and the chiefs of the three other fire departments involved, Boston Heights, Northfield Center and Northfield Village, have been meeting as an administrative committee and formed three subcommittees to deal with issues involving training, operations and EMS.

Black said the departments are working on a number of recommendations, including redrawing fire house areas of responsibility, upgrades to computer systems and data collection and obtaining electronic defibrillators and training for police.

E-mail: emarotta@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3171