Levy looks to start Boardman Townships own full-time ambulance service

Boardman Township is looking to start its own full-time ambulance service with a levy on November's ballot. 

If passed, the “Fire Apparatus” levy would pay for two additional ambulances, giving each fire station one at all times to ensure a quick response to any incident in the township.

“With our strategic placement of our fire stations we know we can get to a fire scene in under five minutes,” Jason Loree, the Boardman Township Administrator said. 

The new levy would mean a new tax. For a 100,000 dollar home, owners will see a $157.50 bill each year. That will bring in $6.1 million annually. 

Currently, the township relies on an independent company called Lane for EMS. When all of the Lane ambulances are on calls, Boardman does bring out their one own ambulance. But that ambulance is staffed with overtime personnel only. Loree said that OT cost and the burnout for the crews isn't sustainable and the township will be stopping those extra shifts soon.

“That just puts the private company in charge of everything which means if something were to happen and they can operate I don't have a response to take someone to a hospital,” he said. 

If the levy passes, the township will also hire 20 new firefighters that are EMS trained to run the new ambulances around the clock. 

Administrators recognize the expensive price tag that comes with the levy but feel this could be a long term solution for emergency responses. 

“Right now this is our only option left,” Loree said. 

Loree said if the levy is passed the township would only use the Lane EMS services when all three of the townships ambulances are busy with calls. 

In the past, the township has tried to join with other counties in the Mahoning Valley to get a regional ambulance service together so taxpayers wouldn’t see too high of costs. Those efforts failed, leaving the township to put the levy on the ballot.

The levy is for five years.