Wintersville hears ambulance issue
Trending
WINTERSVILLE -- Village Fire and Rescue Chief Rob Herrington told council members an increase in the number of Steubenville calls handled by his agency has been a concern, but that Steubenville officials are working to resolve the issue.
Herrington related issues that brought him before Steubenville City Council on Tuesday, noting that in a recent 24-hour period Wintersville ambulances responded to nine calls in the city while also handling about a dozen in their own area.
"The frequency at which they call us has been going up and up," he said.
But Herrington said Steubenville officials are considering various solutions, including establishing an EMS squad in the city's fire department.
Steubenville currently is served by Ambulance Service Inc., a private firm.
Herrington said the Wintersville Fire and Rescue Department will continue to provide mutual aid to Steubenville and other areas while also benefiting from mutual aid provided by neighboring departments.
But he said with medical calls accounting for more than 90 percent of about 3,000 calls received each year by Wintersville Fire and Rescue, the increase in mutual aid calls became a concern.
Herrington said he wanted to assure council of the agency's commitment to the residents of Wintersville and townships it serves.
"We're not going to strip ourselves for our own community. We've always held back a squad," he told council.
Councilman Randy Spence said he's heard from some residents who noted seeing Wintersville ambulances in Steubenville often and expressed concern about the agency being available for them.
Mayor Bob Gale noted Wintersville Fire and Rescue is not affiliated with the village, but added he's confident the agency won't put residents at risk of being without aid and that Steubenville officials will work with others to resolve their ambulance issues.
"We want to make sure services aren't hindered in this community, and I've not seen or heard that," he said.
The mayor and others also thanked Steubenville Mayor Jerry Barilla and City Manager Jim Mavromatis, who attended Thursday's meeting, for their interest and cooperation.
In other business:
¯ Councilwoman Gael Dameron, who began her first term in January, said her husband, a local auto mechanic, was advised he can no longer repair the village's vehicles because of her new position. Dameron said she has no issue with that but questioned whether village employees should be paid for services provided outside their positions.
Village Solicitor Chris Becker said, "No (village) employee or official should be doing business with the village."
Becker said he's not aware of village employees having private contracts with the village, but such a situation would be a violation of state ethics laws with a potential felony charge.
¯ Village Administrator Walter Ziemba said the main line for the Knolls water project has been installed, but tap-ins won't be pursued until spring because it would require streets to be torn up. He said the streets already are in poor condition and can't be repaved until spring.
¯ Council approved the purchase of a vehicle for the police department for about $35,000 from TEAM Ford Lincoln, and up to $7,000 for transmission repairs to two police vehicles.