MILLBURY, Ohio — Lake Township trustees at a meeting Tuesday approved the creation of a Citizen Fire/EMS Committee to gather guidance from residents.
Fire Chief Barrett Dorner said its members will help shape the future of the Lake Township Fire Department.
"Face-to-face communication in the form of a citizens review committee to help us figure out exactly what the citizens are expecting from their fire department," he said.
Dorner is one of three full-time firefighters in the whole department. Everyone else is a volunteer.
"We're seeing that shift nationwide toward full-time departments because the demand is just a lot to ask for people that are leaving home when the tones drop," he said.
And that demand is increasing.
"The reality is we're averaging almost five runs a day, with as many as 16, and that's a lot to ask from people to drop things at home," Dorner said.
He said the department has seen a 75% increase in calls over the past eight years, hitting an all-time high in 2023 with more than 1,600 calls. While the department is making do right now, Dorner wants to find a permanent solution.
"What can we do to kind of future-proof it? To stop putting band-aids on things and start putting in sutures?" he said.
Voters in November rejected a levy that would have brought in $1.2 million to the department, which could have hired five more full-time members to help staff the department 24/7.
But Dorner said some voters voted no due to financial reasons.
"We support you, but we can't afford you," Dorner said. "A lot of our folks in these communities are on fixed incomes."
The Lake Township, Northwood and Rossford fire departments were considering a merger in 2023 and Dorner said that option is still on the table.
For those interested in the citizen committee, there is a form on the Lake Township Fire Department's website.