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Poland pulling for levy to hire paramedics and EMT's
The Western Reserve Joint Fire District serving Poland and Poland Township which also runs three ambulances tell us the EMS services there like across our state and country are facing an emergency due to a shortage of workers.
Sunday, October 23rd 2022, 6:26 PM EDT
Updated:

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Poland -
The Western Reserve Joint Fire District serving Poland and Poland Township which also runs three ambulances tell us the EMS services there like across our state and country are facing an emergency due to a shortage of workers.
Last year the volunteer department responded to around 1400 calls, around 700 were for medical help and emergencies.
"We rely on people being able to leave work, leave their homes, leave their families, leave whatever they're doing, come to the station, come jump on an ambulance," said Assistant Fire Chief of the Western Reserve Joint Fire District Timothy Claven said.
In September American Medical Response or AMR answered only 10 percent of the calls for help in Poland, and Poland Township.
"We've had delays in getting an ambulance to our Poland residents up to 45 minutes in each of our last three months because of a lack of ambulances," said Chief of the Western Reserve Joint Fire District David "Chip" Comstock said.
To address this potentially dangerous situation the Board of Trustees placed a 2.75 mill levy on the ballot that will raise one milion dollars. The cost to residents will be around 94 dollars a year for each 100-thousand dollars in home value.
"The plan is to staff two paramedics, two EMT's to be able to respond to calls from residents in the villages and the township,"
added Assistant Fire Chief Claven.
The volunteer Poland Fire Fighters and EMT's who save lives explain the best reason to support the Poland Levy.
"If you call 911 it could be a life threatening emergency and for every minute that goes by particularly for things like cardiac arrest they diminish 10 percent per minute, so if we can't get an ambulance there timely it is a matter of life and death," Fire Chief Comstock said.
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