Belpre Township Trustees vote to stay a public entity
Belpre Township Trustee Curt Welch II, middle, speaks during a meeting at the Little Hocking Volunteer Fire Department Monday. From left, Asa Boring, trustee, Welch, Fiscal Officer Paula Smith, and Dan Mason, trustee. (Photo by James Dobbs)
Little Hocking Fire Lt. Christopher Rettenberger speaks Monday during a Belpre Township Trustees meeting at the fire department. (Photo by James Dobbs)
Over 60 residents from Belpre and Decatur townships attended the meeting to find out the next steps of the Board of Trustees at the meeting on Monday. (Photo by James Dobbs)
Belpre Township Trustee Curt Welch II, middle, speaks during a meeting at the Little Hocking Volunteer Fire Department Monday. From left, Asa Boring, trustee, Welch, Fiscal Officer Paula Smith, and Dan Mason, trustee. (Photo by James Dobbs)
Little Hocking Fire Lt. Christopher Rettenberger speaks Monday during a Belpre Township Trustees meeting at the fire department. (Photo by James Dobbs)
Over 60 residents from Belpre and Decatur townships attended the meeting to find out the next steps of the Board of Trustees at the meeting on Monday. (Photo by James Dobbs)
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BELPRE -- Belpre Township Trustees were met with over 60 concerned citizens, and firefighters over the status of the department, after firefighters threatened to resign.
Little Hocking Fire Lt. Christopher Rettenberger presented a proposal that the firefighters came up with to stay a public entity.
Rettenberger said the proposal is very similar to how it's managed today through the fire association, which will now become the official township policy.
"The township trustees retain the authority as employers as they would in a township. Fire Department leadership will manage the employees and hiring and so, just because we always have," he said.
Rettenberger stated that revisions for EMS operations currently contained in the privatization agreement will be included, such as 24 hour shifts. He said they would take the existing procedures that existed before today, and tweak them to fit the current situation and deliver them to the township to adopt at a later date.
All firefighters would be paid minimum wage, under the proposal, said Rettenberger. He also stated that all current officers and members will be officially adopted by the township in their current roles as they exist, and future fire chiefs will be selected by the same system that has worked previously. He explained that upon retirement or resignation, trustees will be presented with recommendations and return said recommendations back to the Little Hocking Fire and Rescue (LHFR) with feedback. The selected fire chief will then select fire officers and the EMS captain.
Belpre Township Trustees called for a vote and approved the fire and EMS services to stay a public entity. The Trustees also approved to check with the attorneys in order to try and get reimbursement for the firefighters. Rettenberger said the firefighters spent money "in good faith," in order to hire attorneys to help them with the privatization of the station. He said it will remain an issue with the firefighters until it is returned.
Fire Captain Josh Chevalier said it's been a long journey figuring out whether the fire department would be a public or private entity.
When asked if firefighters were still planning to walk out, Chevalier said he couldn't answer that at this time. He said he has to go back and meet with the firefighters and discuss what took place during Monday's meeting.
Chevalier said privatization is easier for the fire department to manage. He said it is important for the trustees and the fire department to find a solution that works and to be able to serve the community.
"We still would prefer to privatize. We understand that the township doesn't want to do so," he said. "We have made some concessions and have agreed to the public route with certain criteria …"
Chevalier said the trustees have taken several steps along the way to meet the needs of the firefighters.
Firefighters get the choice to decide whether they want to stay volunteers and not get paid, or become paid employees of the township.
"Now out of two years of all this process and the back and forth, we're right back kind of where we started," said Trustee Curt Welch II. "We're still going to manage the administrative side of it, like the way Belpre has always done, and we're going to have paid staff at the station 24/7 for EMS, and then the firemen are going to get paid too, unless they stay volunteers."
Welch said the firefighters will have to make a proposal to the Decatur Trustees in order for the township to receive fire service.
The Belpre Township Trustees plan to meet at the Little Hocking Fire Department on Nov. 28 for an update on the situation, and to hear a response if the freighters have decided to resign.
James Dobbs can be reached at jdobbs@newsandsentinel.com