The Tri Township Joint Fire District Station on Bowtown Road Tuesday afternoon. Fire Chief Tim Carr said the goal of the 5.5-mill replacement levy would be to hire more full-time firefighters and adequately staff both stations.
Glenn Battishill | The Gazette
The Tri Township Joint Fire District will be on the ballot next month seeking approval of a 5.5-mill replacement levy that would allow the district to hire more staff.
If approved, the levy would generate $2,229,000 annually and would begin collection next year. The levy would cost $193 for each $100,000 in home valuation, according to the ballot language. It is the replacement of a 5.5-mill levy that was last approved by voters in 2019.
Tri Township Fire Chief Tim Carr said the district has three fire captains, one full-time 40-hour-a-week firefighter and 24 part-time firefighters. He said the passage of the levy would allow the district to hire more full-time firefighters and staff both stations 24/7.
“We try to maintain at least three (firefighters) at the main station,” Carr said. “Some days there’s four to six. Some days we can staff the second station, but we don’t have the staffing to staff both stations adequately on a regular basis.”
Carr said the district is “very short staffed,” and the focus of the levy is staffing.
“We need to hire, ideally, at least three full-timers,” Carr said. “I’d like to have six. I’d like to have adequate staffing to provide the best service that we can provide. We’re hoping we can get the levy passed to get our staffing. That’s the main goal with this particular levy.”
Carr has been fire chief for about five months, and he added the fire district has a good relationship with the community.
“We’re putting a lot of trust in the community,” Carr said. “The community supports us every time.”
Carr said the district has seen about a 30 to 35% increase in calls for service this year compared to last year. He added that last year the district handled about 350 to 400 runs. He expects the department to exceed 500 runs this year.
Carr said the increase makes sense considering the development in Delaware, Brown and Troy townships, as well as the surrounding areas. The passage of the levy would give the district a chance to keep up with the growth.
“The biggest thing with getting the staffing is making sure we’re ready and not going to fall behind when all the buildings and development come,” Carr said. “It’s very important to get this station staffed adequately and get the manpower in here so we can provide the service.”
The election is on Nov. 5.
Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903.
