Gus Birch took over as fire chief at this hometown fire department last October. His goal is to get the volunteer department to a fully-staffed, 24/7 operation.

"Unless we get the additional personnel though the levy if it passes, we're not going to be able to provide an ambulance.", said Birch.

A stark reality for residents in the township and other departments that rely on mutual aid.

Birch and the fire department are proposing a 3.5-mill, 5-year levy that would alleviate those concerns.

Currently Vienna Township Fire operates on three levies which generate $219,909.48 at an expense of $50.32/year to the owner of a $100,000 home. This new levy would replace two of those levies, leaving just two levies but would generate approximately $507,186.96, at the cost of $127 dollars/year for the same homeowner. This would cover the cost to employ part-time employees to provide around-the-clock coverage which is estimated to be around $366,000/year, as well as maintenance and other operational costs.

"At times you know, we're waiting 10-15 minutes for an ambulance. That's just unacceptable.", Birch explained.

Vienna Township has four mutual aid partners: Brookfield, Liberty, Howland, and Fowler. Birch tells 21 News that having consistent ambulance coverage reduces stress on these partners, and provides adequate response times for those in distress. 

"I actually had to call three fire departments. We had three people injured and three people transported to the hospital.", said Birch, referencing a crash on Scoville-North Road and U.S. Route 82 Thursday afternoon.

A levy that would pave the way for a service that folks in the township and surrounding communities can rely on.

"A lot of times, especially during the day when everyone is working their day turn jobs, there is no one available and that's scary.", Birch mentioned.