by Jeff Saunders
Reporter
Macedonia may have some competition when it comes to supplying Boston Heights with police dispatching and emergency medical service.
Boston Heights Mayor Bill Goncy said the village has contacted Northfield Center, Sagamore Hills, Hudson and the Valley Fire District, to examine alternatives to the services currently provided by the city.
The Valley Fire District covers Peninsula and Boston Township.
Boston Heights employs its own firefighters, but is provided emergency medical protection and dispatching services by Macedonia under separate contracts.
Northfield Center Trustee Richard Reville said he met with Goncy in late July, and that he is preparing a proposal to handle EMS calls for the village.
Currently the township's fire department also covers Sagamore Hills, which provides its own dispatching, while the Summit County Sheriff's Office dispatches for Northfield Center.
Reville said Aug. 8 that he hopes to have a draft proposal drawn up soon to submit to his fellow township Trustees for discussion and possible approval.
"I don't know if Boston Heights will be interested. I don't know even know if we're interested," said Reville.
Reville said that based on figures supplied by Boston Heights, the village has between 120 and 130 EMS calls a year. He estimated that the township may propose charging the village between $800 and $900 a call.
"That's just speculative on my part," he said.
Under the city's contract for EMS service, Macedonia bills Boston Heights $800 per call when a patient has to be transported. In cases where there is no transport, the city bills $400.
The city also bills the patients it treats and turns over about $35,000 per year in patient billing fees to Boston Heights.
According to Fire Chief Tim Black, Boston Heights pays Macedonia about $100,000 per year for EMS.
Sagamore Hills Police Chief David Hayes said Aug. 8 that he is working on an estimate for what it would charge Boston Heights for dispatching, but could not say when it would be ready.
Boston Heights paid the city about $75,000 last year for its dispatching services, according to Finance Director Steve Brunot.
Goncy said the inspiration for seeking information from other communities was talks in the last two years among representatives of the village, Macedonia, Northfield Center, Sagamore Hills and Northfield Village on ways to increase cooperation and improvements in local fire and EMS coverage.
"It's not that we're dissatisfied" with city services, said Goncy. "We just want to see what's out there."
Black said Macedonia's EMS contract automatically renews each year, unless changes are made. Black said that the village seeking information from other communities "is their right and they probably should do that."
"We've run them for 12 years," said Black. "I feel we have done a good job, and I have not heard any complaints."
Goncy said nothing has been finalized.
"This doesn't mean we're pulling out of Macedonia and jumping to someone else," said Goncy. "Right now, our service is provided by Macedonia. Will that change at the end of the year? I don't know. Will it change in a year-and-a-half or five years? Maybe. Or it may never change."
Goncy said he spoke with Hudson Mayor William Currin and City Manager Anthony Bales at least nine months ago, but Hudson showed little interest at the time in coming up with a proposal. Goncy said he has not received any proposals from anyone else, either.
Currin said on Aug. 7 that he did not know the status of any talks between the city and the village and referred the matter to Bales, who did not return calls seeking comments.
Goncy said he has also spoken with Valley Fire District Chief Charles Riedel, who did not return calls for this story.
Northfield Center Fire Chief Robert Derrit said he believes the additional income from Boston Heights would help fund an increase in station staffing from three to four firefighters on each shift, something he said would cost roughly $160,000 per year.
"It could help offset the cost. It won't cover it," said Derrit.
E-mail: jsaunders@recordpub.com
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