Acting Fire Chief Barry Saley presented a check from the Lakemore Firefighters Association to the Village of Lakemore in the amount of $4,717 at the Dec. 21 meeting. The check was to pay for equipment for fire engine 2113 and was raised by the firefighters.
“With the cooperation of the firefighters association, council, the mayor and the community the engine is now ready to serve the Village of Lakemore,” said Saley. “This project could never have been completed without the generosity of so many.”
Saley responded to comments made in a previous meeting by Councilperson John Skipper that it took 18 minutes at 6 p.m. for EMS to respond to a call at Farmer Boy.
“That was incorrect,” said Saley. “Our emergency response time to that alarm was five minutes.
Our fire medic arrived on scene by himself, due to budget cuts, and began to access and treat the patient. We had to mutual aid Springfield Fire for a driver to drive us into the hospital. The entire on scene time assessment, treatment and packaging took approximately 18 to 20 minutes.
The time is appropriate for the treatment of the patient.”
Saley added the department did have one significantly high response time in late October.
“The high response times are a direct reflection of the funding level that is given to the fire department and functioning as a volunteer not staffed fire and EMS department,” Saley said.
Saley presented the mayor and council with a plan to correct the gaps in service.
“The staffing issue is my number one personnel concern.” said Skipper, who has been advocating full-time staffing.
Skipper said he stood corrected on the situation of the 18 minute response time.
“I should have called you before saying anything. I passed on what a resident told me that I thought was right,” he said. “I apologize.”
Council President Rick Justice said he felt the department shows tremendous ingenuity in working with what they have to work with financially.
“You show dedication and we appreciate you greatly,” said Justice.
Saley said he proposed a fire levy would be on the next ballot.
“If this levy were to pass I plan to start a systematic approach of adding staffing during our unstaffed hours to correct the response time issues,” said Saley.
He commended resident Marty Davies for her desire to help with fundraisers for the department.
“I believe that a break down in the communication loop lead to some of the comments that occurred between the firefighters in attendance at the meeting,” he said, referring to a meeting held to recruit volunteers to work with fundraisers to help pay for the new truck.
Davies said at the previous council meeting the fire fighters in attendance wanted the money to go directly into the firefighter association fund rather than to the village. She said there was a comment made that the police department was paid for by the village so they should pay for the fire truck.
Saley addressed those comments stating the association has used its money raised to purchase equipment, uniforms and other equipment.
“If the money raised was given to the association, we (the firefighters) would know that the money would go directly to supporting the fire department instead of the possibility that the money could be used elsewhere like with the misappropriation of funds in the EMS fund under a past clerk,” Saley said.
He said the statement about the police building was probably made out of frustration.
“My personnel go above and beyond to provide a quality service to the community and we, myself included, feel as if we have been second fiddle to other village departments,” said Saley.
The department has a history of earning money for equipment as well as working to get grants which have totaled more than $400,000.
Council President Rick Justice thanked outgoing council members - Marlene Hill, John Skipper and Gary Bennett - for their service to the community.
Justice said he is a member of the advisory committee, comprised of community members, teachers, administrators, pastors and an architectural firm.
“Our job is to present a plan to the School Board for a new 7-12 building,” said Justice. “The plan will be presented to the public on Jan. 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium. A new junior high, high school building is not only important for the students but also for the community, especially for Lakemore. It means keeping jobs, creating jobs, bringing income into the village during construction and more people will be working in the building which will benefit us. I am asking you to please come out to the meeting. It is something we really need to look at as a community for our kids.”
Mayor Mike Kolomichuk said he hopes 2010 is going to be a more productive year than 2009 has been.
“We have issues that we need to address,” he said. “I welcome the new incoming council members. We would like to get the attitude back that we are all working for a common goal. We just need to catch a break.”
He said once the economy turns, they can once again be a thriving village and that he has confidence in the new council people and looks forward to new ideas.
