MADISON TOWNSHIP — Fire Chief Ken Justus proposed a policy change to covering paramedic training at Monday night’s Madison Township Trustees meeting.
Instead of paying tuition upfront, he suggests the township reimburse employees after they successfully complete training, provided they sign a three-year service agreement.
“It’s kind of a new idea, but based upon the fact that there’s just not that many paramedics out there right now, we’re going to be sending a lot of people to schooling over the next few years,” Justus said.
“This eliminates us paying for school and they don’t complete it, and we don’t get our money back.”
The new approach would give the department a little more security — and possibly help retain people, even part-time.
Trustees expressed interest in the change, especially as demand for paramedics continues to rise along with tuition. Justus said it currently costs an estimated $7,000 for paramedic school.
However, given that a recent fire levy was voted down in the community, trustees also questioned whether the department could afford it.
“We have a budget for it, but we could probably only do one person a year, so it would be first-come, first-served,” Justus replied.
The chief also reported 209 calls in May, including two structure fires, 169 EMS runs, and 120 people transported to local hospitals. Justus said total calls for the year so far stand at 1,088.
The department also received a $2,086 grant from Firelands Electric Cooperative to purchase two ice rescue suits.