ROSSFORD, Ohio — Rossford residents weighed in on three city-proposed solutions to the fire department's staffing shortage at a city council meeting Monday,
Council will decide what happens next for the department, which is currently all part-time aside from the full-time fire chief. Will it continue as a standalone department but hire full-time firefighters, form a fire district with neighboring communities, or contract with one neighboring community like Perrysburg Township?
Rossford resident Tiffany Densic is wondering when council will decide.
"I'm anxious for us to get looking into what we can do with our firefighters and getting them on full-time," she said.
Densic was one of many at the meeting to talk about options. She's lived in the community for more than two decades and would like to see the fire department be stand-alone and full-time. And she wants the decision-making process to go faster.
"It's taking much longer than what it should have," Densic said. "We've known about this problem for 10 years and we've talked about it for 10 years. It's not a surprise."
Mayor Neil MacKinnon III said whichever decision council makes will have a long-term effect on the city so he doesn't want it to be rushed.
"We've been working on this for three years, we commissioned a study with the state fire chief's association and we've been talking with our neighbors that are contiguous to us," he said. "This is a 50-75 year decision, so we want to do it right."
MacKinnon and many council members said they aren't sure which option they would vote for yet and want to hear from the community.
"We invite the public to come out and express their views or their concerns and ask any questions they may have in regards the three proposals we sent to city council," MacKinnon said.
The mayor thinks council will have a vote by the end of February.
Rossford firefighters shared their thoughts, too, even passing out their own proposal that suggested a full-time, standalone department.
Later on in the meeting, many of them rushed out to respond to a call. The community thanked them for what they do.
"I thank them for their service," Densic said. "I could not do what they do, and I bet most people couldn't."