Holmes fire and EMS seek radio funding

The expenses of providing quality radio services through the MARCS system for Holmes County fire and EMS departments continues to be under discussion as departments turn to the county for possible funding aid.

Killbuck Township Fire Chief Derwin Clemens and Holmes Fire District #1 Lt. Ryan Peterman sat down with the Holmes County Commissioners recently to discuss the possibility of working on some budgetary items with the new MARCS radio system that would benefit all the county departments.

“Since we switched to the MARCS radio system, we had to purchase the equipment for the radios for our trucks and personal radios for the firemen to use,” Clemens said. “Along with that, there are some yearly fees we get charged per radio that we have, whether it’s a mobile radio in the truck or a portable radio.”

The fee is $5 per radio quarterly, and Clemens said that adds up quickly with the volume of radios that are necessary to properly operate any of the county’s departments.

Clemens said currently that expense is coming out of department funds, and something that came to light in talking with other departments in neighboring counties was they had worked out an agreement with their commissioners, referring to Tuscarawas County in particular.

“They had actually purchased all of their radio equipment for every department in the county, all of their MARCS radios in the departments, whether in their trucks or portables, and then going forward they pay their yearly fees,” Clemens said.

He did say that in speaking with leaders from other Holmes County departments, each has already purchased its own radio equipment.

Clemens and others were inquiring as to whether the commissioners would be open to helping pay the fees portion of the MARCS system as departments work toward tightening their fiscal belts.

Much of the concern revolves around the unknown of what will happen in the future with property tax, as a good portion of property tax income supports local fire and EMS departments.

Clemens said should property tax be abolished, that would put a huge burden on Holmes County departments.

“We’re looking at ways we could possibly save some finances,” Clemens said.

Commissioner Dave Hall said his first thought was the commissioners could help locate grant funding that could possibly help pay for some or all the expense.

Clemens said there is a MARCS grant available, and it has been used before, but that can be a hit or miss prospect. He said Killbuck and Holmes Fire District #1 applied for and received a grant for $40,000, with Killbuck being able to purchase needed portable radios and District #1 securing $42,000 toward the purchase of a new mobile radio for the tanker truck along with seven portable radios.

“Those portable radios aren’t cheap; they run between $6,000-$7,000 apiece,” Peterman said. “But this is the first time in about four or five years we’ve gotten (the MARCS grant)."

Peterman said he has spoken with the grant administrator for the MARCS grant, and he said he tries to spread the grant funding throughout the state, meaning the grant funding is almost cyclical in nature and it could be several years until it comes back to Holmes County.

The monthly meetings of county fire chiefs have allowed each department to share how many radios they have and their respective expenses for the MARCS radio fees. Each department’s total number of radios varies depending on how many are in the department and whether each department chooses to give every one of their department members a portable radio.

They continue to collect that data, although Peterman said a ballpark quarterly figure for the entire county would be somewhere around $25,000 per quarter.

Hall said while the county would like to help, its priority now is focused on updating and improving the county’s emergency siren systems.

Jason Troyer, Holmes County Emergency Management Agency director and assistant fire chief at East Holmes Fire & EMS, said one of EMA’s goals is for the agency and the county to take full ownership of all the county’s tornado sirens by the end of the year, something that would include expenditures for maintenance and eventual replacement costs.

“Right now each is under the jurisdiction of where they’re at,” Troyer said, noting there are nine tornado sirens throughout the county, along with the new one the county does take ownership of, having erected it near Killbuck Park.

He said the cost of replacing a siren is around $35,000 and said that would be a big expense as they age out.

Hall said the property tax situation is the big unknown, but the commissioners are willing to listen and work with the departments.

“My question is whether this affects services in your communities,” Hall said. “Public safety is our top priority. Right now we are taking a pause because of the uncertainty surrounding the property tax situation.”

Troyer said the radio is one of the most critical pieces of equipment for every department.

Clemens also suggested an alternative plan, utilizing a MARCS radio reimbursement form each department could submit for review. It would include in detail what each department uses through MARCS.

Peterman said with increasing costs in equipment across the board, the MARCS expenses are critical because the radios often serve as a lifeline during life-and-death situations at a fire.

The commissioners said they will continue to discuss possibilities in terms of funding the expense.