Trustees expected to fill vacancy

A resident questioned why a township ambulance stands by at a racetrack.
By MARY GRZEBIENIAK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW SPRINGFIELD -- Springfield Township trustees have set a special meeting for 9 a.m. Mondayto fill a vacant trustee position for the remainder of the year.
Trustees Jim Holleran and Reed Metzka are expected to appoint Robert Orr, top vote-getter in Tuesday's election for township trustee, to take office immediately so there can be a full board for the remainder of the year. The vacancy was caused by the prosecution of Trustee Shirley Heck for having an unlawful interest in a public contract, a misdemeanor. As part of the plea agreement, Heck had to resign her seat.
Also at Wednesday's trustees meeting, Donald Ridzon, an unsuccessful candidate for trustee in this week's election and frequent critic at trustees meetings, asked why the township ambulance is at the Good Hope Speedway, Garfield Road, for races every Saturday night during the summer and asked whether the township is getting paid for this. He questioned the legality of the practice if the township is not getting paid.
Holleran, who was an EMS worker before being elected trustee, said he will ask the county prosecutor's office about the legality of the practice and have an answer at the December meeting.
Racetrack requirement
EMS Captain Karen Philibin said after the meeting that the racetrack has a requirement that an ambulance stand by during races and has hired two Springfield Township EMS workers to stand by at the track. But she said it is the training of the workers that they are paying for, not the ambulance.
She said it is an advantage to the township to have EMS personnel standing by with the ambulance because if a call comes in from somewhere else, they can respond immediately. Normally, the on-call EMS workers would be at home when a call comes in and would have to drive to the township building to get the ambulance.
In addition, Philibin said that if an accident occurs at the track and the victim is taken to the hospital in the township ambulance, the township receives the insurance reimbursement. Out of that reimbursement, as with any call, EMS workers receive $14 to $20 per call, depending on their level of training.
Philibin said the EMS is a community service and the ambulance stands by for free at any community event where requested. For example, she said the ambulance stands by at Springfield Local High School football games. Although not required to, Springfield Athletic Boosters sometimes make a donation to the EMS Association -- a fund used to buy the EMS clothing. EMS workers, however, are not paid to be on hand at the football games as they are at the racetrack.
She said the township ambulance has been standing by on race nights at the racetrack for at least 10 years and trustees have never forbidden it. Fire officials, in fact, set up the arrangement in the first place.
She explained that Station 23 in New Springfield owns the property the track is on and leases it to the track. The track at one time was going to contract with a private ambulance service to stand by at races, but township fire officials had insisted the township fire department be used.
Other matters
Also Wednesday, trustees:
UAuthorized only Township Clerk Patti Gibson to use OfficeMax and Staples credit cards.
UAuthorized Thomas Fok and Associates, Youngstown, to apply for state grants to pay for upgrades to Phil Rose Lane.
UHeard Philibin announce that a CPR class for health-care provider status will be held Nov. 28, and an airway class has been set for 7 p.m. Dec. 12. Those interested should call (330) 542-2377 for details.