HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Volunteer firefighters in southeastern Ross County took advantage of free training over the weekend as their budget for such experiences dwindles.
Harrison Township Fire and Rescue is one of the sixteen townships in Ross County. During the 2000 census their population was 1,293. The department services 36 square miles for fire and EMS, which is staffed by all volunteers.
Training like the one Saturday is vital for the township for a group who has little money to operate.
Fire Chief Kevin Harper said that when the department was approached to participate in a “live burn” at a vacant property he thought it would be a great opportunity to have free training. He said that since the department is the only one in the county that does not have a budget, free training like the one Saturday is imperative. Hard translation: there is no tax levy to support the crew that comes to your rescue and soon, they might not be able to come at all.
“Any chance we have for free training; it benefits us because we don’t have to spend money out of our budget,” Harper said; a budget that is essentially non-existent.
The chief said money is a struggle for the department. The township trustees will give the firefighters money occasionally to pay for things like diesel fuel to run the ambulance or help with filling oxygen tanks to use at emergency scenes, but the help is barely enough to keep things afloat.
In the last four years, Harrison Township Fire and Rescue has gone on nearly 1,300 calls for help, with each year the number growing.
- 2018: 194 calls
- 2019: 299 calls
- 2020: 422 calls
- 2021: 327 calls (year-to-date)
Grants help offset the expenses, but they aren’t enough, either, since the process is competitive with dozens of departments around the state, or even the country vying for the money.
Harper has to make tough decisions as the chief of the department; a position he has held off-and-on since 1992. One he is seriously worried about: does he pay for the light bill inside the firehouse or does he pay for maintaining the ambulance? Without hesitation, the answer is clear: it’s about the citizens; the trucks can sit in the dark at the firehouse as long as they can roll to the scene to save a life. Thankfully, for now, Harper hasn’t had to make the grim decision between the two, but if things do not change soon, it is a likely reality.
The township is placing their first-ever operational levy on the ballot this November with hopes to keep the lights on, figuratively and literally. While the word “levy” might scare a lot of citizens, Harper wanted to stress that in comparison to other townships the funding that would be generated is minimal; minimal, but just enough to continue saving lives.
“If you break it down, on a $100,000 home it’s $105 a year per household. That’s about $9 a month, on average, per house. It’ll bring in a total of about $65,000 a year for us.” A big leap from the $0 the department currently has.
One thing that the chief wanted to stress was that the money from the levy would not be used to buy new trucks or pay firefighters. It will be used to keep things running.
“This is going to allow us to maintain equipment, to pay bills, fuel costs; just to operate the department, itself. This is not used to make big purchases. This is to keep the department functioning.”
Harper said he hopes the citizens will see the need for the $65,000 a year because he said, “The trustees said they didn’t know how much longer they would be able to fund the department.”
Election Day is November 2.
