43
Trumbull towns explore forming joint fire district
By jeanne starmack
liberty
Representatives from several Trumbull County communities met in Liberty Township on Friday to hear the pros and cons of forming a joint fire district.
The meeting was only informational, said David Comstock, an attorney who serves as legal counsel for four joint districts.
Comstock has helped in the formation of other districts and is chief of the Western Reserve Joint Fire District, which serves Poland and Poland Township. He spoke to government and fire officials from Liberty, Girard, Hubbard, Hubbard Township and Vienna.
Liberty Township, said trustee chairman Stan Nudell, initiated the idea to explore forming a district.
The biggest challenge in doing so, Comstock said, is that there are “many unknowns.”
“So people are afraid to move forward,” he said. But change can provide better opportunities, he added.
He said one con is a loss of local control, but pros are improved efficiency, better coordination of fire protection, improved insurance ratings and the fact that the districts have their own boards of trustees who deal with nothing but issues affecting fire protection service.
He said the districts also control their own finances.
Some officials said they found the meeting helpful.
“I came here with an open mind, to listen and learn,” said Girard Mayor James Melfi.
“Will we become a better department?” he continued. “Will safety be worse or the same? I’m willing to see a model of the fire district developed.
“Our fire department is very efficient,” he said. “We have gotten our costs under control in recent years.”
Nudell said the idea might be overwhelming in the beginning, but officials have to look at their communities’ needs and consider changing times.
He called the meeting “a good start.”
The Eagle Joint Fire District, which serves Hubbard and Hubbard Township, is volunteer with a paid chief; Girard and Liberty have paid professional firefighters who are paramedics; and Vienna has a combination of volunteer and paid staff.