By Brian Haytcher
Star Beacon
NORTH KINGSVILLE, Ohio 鈥� A number of EMTs spoke out at a meeting on Wednesday night, after the village laid off all of its part-time EMS workers earlier this month.
The village terminated its part-time EMS service on July 5 , due to a lack of funding. Mayor Terry McConnell said at the time there was not enough money in the village鈥檚 EMS fund to meet the payroll.
More than 25 people were at Wednesday night鈥檚 village council meeting, including a number of EMTs who used to work for the village.
Several of them spoke during the meeting鈥檚 public comment period.
Kyle Adkins, a captain with the fire department, said the department was allotted $70,000 for 2023 for payroll. He said the department used $69,000 of that.
Adkins asked if those funds came from the EMS fund or from the general fund.
He said the village will be receiving a $21,000 check for the work they have done so far.
鈥淭o run until the end of the year, if we ran at 10-hour days, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, we show it will cost ... right around $37,000,鈥� Adkins said. 鈥淚f we did drop to 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., to try to save some money, to where we had money coming back in, we鈥檇 be right at $31,000.鈥�
He asked to restore what the village already had.
鈥淚 know there鈥檚 been questions in the past about our staffing,鈥� Adkins said. 鈥淲ithin the last two months, we鈥檝e had some new people come on, we鈥檝e hired some new people. That staffing shows one day, on July 4th, which is an optional holiday for the paid department side, was the only day we did not have staffing coverage.鈥�
He said there was one-half day when there was no staffing available.
He said recently, it took 13 or 14 minutes for an ambulance to arrive at a call.
鈥淲hen we pulled Ashtabula Township, we got Station Two, off Austinburg Road,鈥� Adkins said. " Austinburg Road to North Kingsville is a 14-minute drive. ... We鈥檇 like to continue to save lives.鈥�
Sam Shearer, a lieutenant with the fire department, said the difference between the check coming in and the proposed reduced staffing costs would only be about $10,360.
鈥淭hat doesn鈥檛 include any billing that would be coming in,鈥� he said.
Next year, the village will be receiving levy funds, he said.
Amber Welker, an EMT with the department, said seconds count when the department responds to a call, and cited a case where a 23-year-old went into cardiac arrest in the village.
鈥淗ad we not been staffed, that 23-year-old would not be here,鈥� Welker said.
Missie Legge, a firefighter/EMT said on Monday there was a call for a 2-year-old seizure patient, and it took 14 minutes for an ambulance to arrive after 911 was called.
McConnell said he had spoken to the chief and assistant chief, and a committee had been assembled to look at the issue.
Council member Tim Green thanked everyone who spoke at the meeting.
鈥淚 want to thank everyone for the passion that you demonstrate, serving the village and all the people that you serve,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 also appreciate the level of civility you represent tonight, in sharing your story. That鈥檚 important too.鈥�
After the meeting, McConnell said the paid part-time department was started on a trial basis.
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