Westfield Township Fire and Rescue Levy Working Session

Welcome to the Westfield Township Fire and Rescue District Levy Working Session

Share information about the Fire and Rescue District levy Goals Hear from you and answer any questions you may have Openly discuss the direction of the Fire and Rescue District

2.5Mill in support of Westfield Fire and Rescue District On Nov 5th, Westfield Township voters will have an opportunity to vote for or against a 5-year, 2.5Mill operating levy in support of Westfield Fire and Rescue (F&R) District. After careful consideration and budget cuts in 2024, the Trustees, along with the Fire Chief examined the current and future state of the District to determine the levy amount. The overall goal is to continue the service and timely response to emergencies when seconds matter.

Grow Services Plan and prepare for the future Provide for the community Grow Fire District services to adjust to an aging community According to 2020 Census data, 55% of adults (people over age 20) in Westfield Township are aged 55 or older. Provide the quality and timely service your family has come to expect Since August of 2023, the Fire & Rescue team has not missed a single call. Help the F&R District plan and prepare for the future We need to retain the dedicated fire and rescue staff we have, plus grow the team based on community needs. As an example, the cost associated with bringing on and hire a new Fire & Rescue employee can start at approximately $8,800. Retain and grow staff Replace older trucks and equipment Replace older fire trucks and equipment, eliminating the rising costs to repair aged equipment The Fire Chief has defined two vehicles that need replaced, costing approximately $1.3M.

Determining the millage Township Trustees, Fire Chief and Assistant Chief reviewed the following Operational budget review Capital spending plan Projected operational cost increases Future capital spending Township Trustees sent this information to the Medina County Auditor's Office to determine the millage needed to meet the projected figures. The Auditor's Office responded that the need will be 2.5Mill

How much will a 2.5Mill levy produce each year? A new 2.5Mill levy will produce revenue of approximately $522,700 per year for 5 years. Based on figures from the County Auditor s Office: $310,000 Each homeowner in the Westfield Township (unincorporated) would pay an additional property tax cost of $87.50 per year based on a home valued at $100,000. $212,700 Westfield Village pays for Fire & EMS service out of their general fund. This will increase their payment to the Township by 2.5Mill over 5 years. There is also a continuous levy that passed in 2012 that is still collecting at a rate of 1.662, costing taxpayers $51.10 a year based on a home valued at $100,000. Additionally, the Township is still collecting on a 20 year, $3M bond passed for the Fire & Rescue building in 2018. The collection rate is 1.25Mill costing taxpayers $43.75 a year based on a home valued at $100,000.

The last levy in support of Westfield Fire and Rescue District The last Fire District operating levy was in 2012 12 years ago. The Fire Chief and Trustees project that the new levy will fund the District adequately for the next 5 years or longer barring any unexpected fiscal crisis. They, along with the Fiscal Officer, will continue to monitor and adjust the budget as needed and set reserves for the future. While it s hard to project funding beyond 5 years in today s economy, we will continue to work within our budgets and be fiscally responsible with taxpayer s dollars.

How will the money be used? Operating costs Funding staffing Capital reserve

Operating costs Equipment repairs and maintenance has increased: The 2024 maintenance budget is already depleted with several repairs needed: 1999 Fire Truck (wheel hub, power steering, oil leak, pump work). 2014 ambulance in need of repairs (valve cover gasket leak and overall maintenance, oil issues). The rise in utility costs (water, electric, gas, insurance) led to the decision to place a levy on the ballot. These costs have increased over 62% over the 5 years. Our sheriff s contract for 2024 was $20,327. This contract goes up 4% annually. Contracted services (building, ladder, and hose testing, mowing radios, etc.) have increased 47% over the last 4 years.

Funding staffing Competitive Salaries Through June 2024, the District has saved over $12,663 in salary reductions. Although this team works extremely well together, retention is a concern. Other surrounding districts pay more in salary while we have made salary cuts. Rise in employee insurance and education. On boarding new employees. As an example, to bring on and hire a new Fire & Rescue employee can start at approximately $8,800.

Capital reserve As of June 2024, the Capital Reserve funds are $67,872. We need to grow reserves that support a replacement cycle plan for apparatus and position ourselves well for the future. Equipment Replacement: The NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) 1901 Standard states that the life expectancy for fire apparatus is approximately 20 years for front line apparatus, with a 5-year reserve. The 1999 Fire truck turns 25 years old this year. A new fire truck takes approximately 3 years to build and costs approximately $1M. While there is no NFPA standard for ambulances, the 2014 ambulance is also in need of repairs and a new ambulance costs approximately $350,000.

The Chief and Assistant Chief apply for several grants each year. Both State and Federal assistance grants are based on selection criteria established by the agency providing the funding. Since October of 2023, we ve applied for nine different grants. To-date, Westfield F&R has received eight grants totaling $46,647. The grants awarded helped cover costs for fire gear, equipment, and training. Other funding In 2024, the Fire Chief has collected $21,761 from selling unused and outdated F&R equipment. The Fire & Rescue District recently received a generous donation of $50,000 from Westfield Insurance to purchase a new First Responder Vehicle. The current vehicle, a 2011 Ford Expedition, has large rust holes in the frame and doors. And, since 2021, over $8,800 was spent on repairs. The donation, along with funds gained from selling unused equipment this year will cover the cost of the new vehicle. We are incredibly grateful to Westfield Insurance for their donation.

Staffing the F&R District The fact is, the only full-time staff member on the F&R District team is the Fire Chief, who joins the staff by responding to the majority of incidents. All other staff members are part-time only. While we say that there are two people on duty 24 hours a day at the fire station, it does not mean they are full-time staff members.

What is the average response times for Emergency Medical Calls? The NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) Standard 1710 establishes specific response time goals for emergency medical services. The standard goal is 9 minutes. This is based on the time an EMS unit leaves the station and arrives at the incident, while also aiming to achieve this goal 90% of the time. Thanks to our resolute staff, we are exceeding this goal. Currently, our average response time is 8 minutes, 20 seconds from the station to the incident. Depending on availability, the current staffing model aims to have two part-time employees on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Depending on the severity of the incident, at times it requires additional people to drive from home, which adds to the response time. Emergency medical calls account for 64% of our call volume. F&R staff are trained to manage both fire and EMS incidents. Currently, there are twenty-four part-time people on our roster: 5 Paramedics, 2 EMT intermediates and 12 Basic EMTS. Additionally, 5 staff members are currently enrolled in Paramedic school. Through June 2024: Most calls occur between 8:00 A.M. and 8 P.M. Calls from Township residents: 60 % Calls from Village residents: 19 % Calls to assist other departments: 21 % The levy will help us pay these hard-working individuals competitively to retain them and plan for the future.

If the levy does not pass in support of Westfield Fire and Rescue District If this levy fails to pass, the Fire District will ask the voters for support again in the future, and the next request may be a higher millage to offset the continued loss of revenue. The cost of doing business will continue to increase regardless of the success or failure of the levy. Additional cuts to consider if the levy fails: Reduce on-duty staffing to 12 hours a day (instead of 24) during times with the most calls, 8A.M. 8P.M. This may result in longer response times, asking for more mutual aid and loss of revenue. Evaluating already tight budgets for additional cuts will be difficult. Additional funding will be needed for vehicle repairs and maintenance, growing utility costs and salaries.

When I retire, I want to leave the F&R District better than it was when I became chief. Right now, we are one significant incident away from breaking the bank Fire Chief Jeff Hall

Q & A

Resources

Contracted Services Expenses WESTFIELD FIRE & RESCUE, MEDINA COUNTY 2021-2024 Account Code Account Name 2021 Expenditures 2022 Expenditures 2023 Expenditures 2024 YTD Expenditures 1000-220-360-0000Contracted Services $988.25 $865.49 1000-220-360-0702Contracted Services{ACTIVE911} $400.00 $900.00 $0.00 1000-220-360-0703Contracted Services{EMERGENCY MGT COST ALLOCATIONS} $1,717.20 $2,762.63 $1,793.52 1000-220-360-0704Contracted Services{ESO QTRLY BILLING} $800.00 $7,496.35 $6,293.87 1000-220-360-0705Contracted Services{SCBA Testing} $2,231.95 $0.00 1000-220-360-0706Contracted Services{MEDICOUNT} $3,746.35 $4,309.97 $6,372.00 $2,644.61 1000-220-360-0709Contracted Services{Ladder Testing} $420.00 $420.00 1000-220-360-0710Contracted Services{MARCS SERVICE CONTRACT} $2,230.00 $980.00 $690.00 $345.00 1000-220-360-0711Contracted Services{Preventative Maint. EMS Equip} $0.00 $1,570.00 1000-220-360-0712Contracted Services{MOWING} $675.00 $3,980.00 $1,100.00 1000-220-360-0713Contracted Services{Breathing Air Systems} $2,400.00 $1,018.17 1000-220-360-0714Contracted Services{Knox Company} $584.00 $0.00 1000-220-360-0715Contracted Services{US Protective} $0.00 $540.00 1000-220-360-0904Contracted Services{Lexipol} $3,115.05 $3,115.50 $0.00 2902-220-400-0710Supplies and Materials{MARCS SERVICE CONTRACT} $1,680.00 $1,725.00 $9,341.34 Contracted Services{TCP- Aladtec} $3,603.50 Contracted Services{FLUENT IMS} $2,400.00 Contracted Services{EMERGENCY MGT (TROT)} $2,401.91 Contracted Services{I-PAD MOBILE QTRLY BILLING} $1,600.00 Report Total: $12,378.26 $17,280.72 $33,665.68 $25,932.00

Repair Expenditures WESTFIELD FIRE & RESCUE, MEDINA COUNTY 2021-2024 YTD 2021 YTD Expenditures 2022 YTD Expenditures 2023 YTD Expenditures 2024 YTD Expenditures Total Repair Expenditures Account Code 1000-220-323- Account Name 1600Repairs and Maintenance{LAND/BUILDING} 1000-220-323- 1601Repairs and Maintenance{EQUIPMENT} 1000-220-323- 1611Repairs and Maintenance{161-1 PUMPER} 1000-220-323- 1621 TENDER/TANKER} 1000-220-323- 1623 RESCUE (2016)} 1000-220-323- 1642Repairs and Maintenance{164-2 GATOR} 1000-220-323- 1661 (2017)} 1000-220-323- 1662 EXPEDITION(2012)} 1000-220-323- 1672Repairs and Maintenance{167-2 SQUAD (2014)} 1000-220-323- 1673Repairs and Maintenance{167-3 SQUAD (2018)} $8,546.75 $5,707.87 $831.20 $56.04 $981.07 $3,161.05 $1,259.82 $141.35 $5,809.42 $10,069.46 $9,090.98 $4,540.61 Repairs and Maintenance{162-1 $14,156.65 $5,243.60 $2,050.67 $2,514.35 Repairs and Maintenance{16-164-1 LIGHT $0.00 $408.95 $232.00 $704.86 $41.99 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Repairs and Maintenance{T-166-1 AIR TRAILER $0.00 $75.00 $0.00 $0.00 Repairs and Maintenance{166-2 CHIEF'S $4,338.32 $4,176.02 $200.40 $93.80 $557.69 $8,967.60 $2,368.59 $2,846.85 $0.00 $1,438.75 $166.94 $2,604.72 Report Total: $34,431.89 $39,248.30 $16,200.60 $13,502.58 $103,383.37

Basic Utilities, Insurance and Fuel Expenses WESTFIELD FIRE & RESCUE, MEDINA COUNTY 2018-2024 YTD Account Code 1000-220- 351-0000Electricity 1000-220- 352-0000Water and Sewage 1000-220- 353-0000Natural Gas 1000-220- 359-0601Other - Utilities{CABLE/INTERNET} 1000-220- 359-0604Other - Utilities{SQUAD Wi-Fi} 1000-220- 380-2001 & LIABILITY} 1000-220- 599-1100Other - Other Expenses{FUEL} 2018 YTD Expenditures 2019 YTD Expenditures 2020 YTD Expenditures 2021 YTD Expenditures 2022 YTD Expenditures 2023 YTD Expenditures 2024 Final Appropriation Account Name $4,220.92 $3,826.19 $5,275.46 $5,031.52 $5,011.52 $5,862.93 $6,000.00 $771.28 $797.69 $2,732.00 $3,687.41 $3,537.21 $3,901.68 $3,950.00 $2,558.43 $2,978.57 $2,610.04 $4,871.80 $5,648.43 $4,860.31 $5,700.00 $980.00 $1,446.87 $1,218.99 $2,327.65 $1,440.19 $1,079.88 $1,080.00 $478.48 $423.77 $299.92 $420.53 $459.04 $426.11 $0.00 Insurance and Bonding{PROPERTY $10,220.00 $9,488.94 $9,870.00 $11,232.00 $12,552.00 $12,786.17 $14,866.19 $6,539.90 $6,176.56 $6,173.98 $8,257.99 $9,274.80 $11,273.10 $11,500.00 Report Total: $25,769.01 $25,138.59 $28,180.39 $35,828.90 $37,923.19 $40,190.18 $43,096.19