By Christopher Gillett
Star Beacon
NORTH KINGSVILLE, Ohio 鈥� The village has been relying on volunteer firefighter and rescue services since it laid off its part-time Emergency Medical Services staff in July.
The move was controversial because residents expected it to slow down emergency response, and people were laid off.
North Kingsville Mayor Terrance McConnell said costs were a problem with having part-time staff.
"[The village] did not have the money coming in to cover the expenditures just on the pay,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t should鈥檝e never hit [2023], because they kept going down. [North Kingsville EMS] started with $100,000. They went down to $80,000. In [2024] we ended up at $17,000. Couldn鈥檛 even make payroll for the rest of the thing.鈥�
McConnell said the village鈥檚 part-time employees worked when needed before.
鈥淭he way it worked before was you had two people here and they could make a call,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he way I understand is, other people might be able to assist with them if they needed it.鈥�
McConnell said the village is also relying on mutual aid from neighboring communities when volunteers are not sufficient.
鈥淚f we get called for a problem, rescue squad ... North Kingsville can鈥檛 respond, so what they do is, it gets turned out to Kingsville, Plymouth, Ashtabula, Conneaut,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e all have mutual aid. If we can鈥檛 do it, another entity will do it.鈥�
McConnell said while a levy to pay for EMS passed, it won鈥檛 go into effect until 2025, and it鈥檚 harder to get volunteers for the fire department in the meantime.
鈥淲e will meet and try to restart this thing,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 had a meeting yet 鈥� me being new now I had a lot of things on the plate. We鈥檙e going to schedule a meeting, hopefully within the next week.鈥�
McConnell said he wants to present some figures relating to EMS in North Kingsville.
鈥淲e鈥檒l have to work with the figures we got and what can come and what we can project for if it was fully manned or the runs that they would make,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he money we would get front he runs. because you only get paid for the transports.鈥�
(c)2024 the Star Beacon (Ashtabula, Ohio)
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