HUNTINGTON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Despite recent efforts to stop the turmoil, the Huntington Township Fire Department in Ross County is in a state of great concern. The renewed concerns come after last month’s attempt to salvage the department from a scheduling nightmare. Despite recent efforts, things are only worsening in the small community.
It all comes down to budgeting, staffing, and politics.
Having done so last month once before, but rescinding it, Fire Chief Larry Cuckler has now officially resigned from the department stating the same concerns as previously: the township trustees don’t know how to manage and they are running the fire and EMS divisions into the ground, which are going to cost lives.
The backstory.
Initially, issues arose last month after the trustees — Gary Hopkins, John Cottrill, and Larry Kellough — abruptly announced that they would be cutting hours for the EMS teams, citing budget concerns. The announcement caught many off-guard, including members of the department. Given outrage from the community and first responders, the trustees held another emergency meeting to reverse course. Instead of cutting hours almost entirely, they compromised and made the decision to go to one full-time position with part-timers filling in. The trustees also announced a community board to help propose a plan on how to move the department forward with hopes of saving the EMS coverage that the citizens receive.
The former chief said the trustees had been harping about money for a couple of months because a grant that helped fund EMS coverage is coming to an end. Even with three existing levies, the trustees are claiming poverty:
- 1.5 mill EMS levy – Approved 11-7-2017, permanent levy
- 2.0 mill Fire & EMS levy – 5-year levy expires 12-31-2022
- 1.0 mill Fire & EMS levy – 5-year levy expires 12-31-2023
Several citizens, fire members, and business owners have taken to social media to express their frustration over the new structure.
Where things are today.
Despite the promises to change things in a second-special meeting, actions — or lack thereof — are speaking volumes. The department continues to hemorrhage members, lose money, and frankly, the coffers are running dry. That, of course, does not stop the need for 9-1-1 services. Regardless of the status of money, politics, or scheduling, people still call for help, Cuckler said.
“It used to be three people [from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.], then two overnight, and now they are down to one person,” Cuckler told the Guardian on Tuesday. He said he refused to stay silent after he received another resignation a few days ago before handing in his own — this time making it official — which has left the department with a sole-full time EMT.
“A guy going out on a fire, an auto accident, or anything, if he’s out there by himself, then he won’t know where help is at,” the now-resigned chief said. Currently, some part-time first responders are trying to help out, but it leaves many gaps in coverage, and Cuckler said that the issue falls squarely at the feet of the trustees when someone dies.
“[The Trustees] say that’s a-okay! That’s not safe to me, yet [the Township road crew] goes out and mows the grass. There are two of those guys…when you question the trustees about that, they say, ‘That’s completely different money’.”
The former chief is not optimistic about the future of the fire department, stating that it is “sad” how it is treated, even after promises to “fix” the issue.
When asked about the state of the fire department, all of the trustees refused to give a comment to the Guardian. Member of the board, John Cottrill refused to answer any questions and became hostile towards the Guardian, stating, “You guys don’t have any credibility, I’m not going to answer any of your questions.”
The only way to save lives — literally — in Huntington Township, Cuckler said, is for a change in the Board of Trustees, for grants to flow, or for citizens to pass an additional levy; all things which are political in a life-saving operation where politics should have no business.
