ROSSFORD – The city is going to staff its own full-time fire department and hopes to have it operational in six months.

At Monday’s council meeting, members voted unanimously to accept the fire committee’s recommendation to move toward a stand-along department with 24/7 shifts and work with neighboring departments for automatic aid.

The long-term goal is regionalization, said Councilwoman Caroline Zuchowski-Eckel.

In January, council was presented with three options: Developing a stand-alone full-time department, forming a fire district with one or more neighboring communities, and contracting with a neighboring community, mostly likely Perrysburg Township.

The city and township soon began to meet to discuss contract options and township Fire Chief Tom Brice presented an option to council in May.

“This is in no way a knock to the Perrysburg Township Fire Department. They are a good department, and we hope to be able to partner with them in the future,” Zuchowski-Eckel said.

Current Rossford firefighters who want to stay part time can do so, but if they want a full-time job, they’ll have to take a civil service exam, Zuchowski-Eckel said.

That will take up the most time, she said.

Part-time firefighters can stay on part time.

The cost estimated is $2.3 million for personnel – about $800,000 less than what was proposed by the township — and the city budgets $500,000 annually for capital costs, she said.

All firefighters hired full time will need to be cross trained as paramedics, she said, so there are two on staff at all times, and the city is considering paying for that training.

The first thing is to hire a fire chief, said law Director Kevin Heban.

That will take two-three months if someone from within the department is not chosen, said police Chief Todd Kitzler.

The city will immediately start advertising for a fire chief.

Interim Fire Chief Andrew Vascik will remain to oversee the process.

It was not an easy decision but one we had to make, said Councilman Larry Oberdorf Sr.

“I know it’s a tremendous amount of pressure,” he said, and thanked the committee for the work it did.

“There was a lot of unnecessary noise through the process,” Zuchowski-Eckel said, including rumors that the committee had made up its mind before its first meeting and there would only be basic staff.

“I don’t know what everyone else thought when we started, but I know when we all got in that room, everyone had the same goals to come up with the best plan possible,” she said.

Zuchowski-Eckel discounted the concern that no one would want to come to the Rossford department.

She said she could see that with the way the station was the last couple of years, but being part of establishing a department from the ground up would be tempting.

“I’m confident that people will want to be a part of this,” she said.

“This was no easy task, and the stress was very real,” said Councilwoman Rachel Tinney

She said the committee remained focused despite the many roadblocks, some from the administration that didn’t support it.

“We don’t always have to agree, but at the very least, we can talk and be respectful of each other’s positions,” she said.

“I really believe that everyone that was on that committee was looking for the best idea, not just their idea,” said Councilwoman Brenna Reynolds.

“We are moving forward. We are making decision to make us better,” said Councilman Zachary Owen.

Vascik said after the meeting that there were a lot of things that needed to be done to the fire station and architects will decide whether to remodel or tear down a portion and rebuild.

The fire building, which was built in 1957, is not conducive to 24-hour staffing as it has a group dormitory room, limited kitchen space and an inability to separate apparatus storage and the living area.

“It was never designed for having people 24/7,” Vascik said.

While he works full time for the Springfield Township Fire Department, he said he planned to stay with the Rossford department in some capacity.

He said he has not discounted the idea of applying for the job as fire chief.

“We have a lot of staff that are full time somewhere else but enjoy giving back to their community part time,” said Vascik, who has been with the department for 23 years. “We wanted to foster that.”

The plan is to staff the station with four shifts, each with 2 full-time personnel, 3 part-time personnel and one officer in charge.

The shifts would be 24 hours on, 72 hours off, Vascik said.

Also at the meeting, council:

• Approved two ordinances asking the county auditor to certify levies for placement on the November ballot.

A 2.8-mill levy renewal levy would be for the maintenance of fire equipment; a 1-mill renewal levy to pay for fire personnel; a1-mill levy to pay for park and recreation personnel; and a 1-mill levy to pay for park and recreation capital improvements.

Each request will be for five years.

• Heard Kitzler report that the most recent two-week statistics for speed on Jennings Road.

He said this was the first time outgoing and incoming traffic was checked.

Numbers are for the average speed on every vehicle and does not record every speed when a vehicle decelerates, he said.

From June 12-24, 2,562 vehicles were clocked coming from the park toward Eagle Point Road and showed 89.99% of them were under 25 mph, 9% were between 26-30 mph, less than 1% were 31-35 mph and three vehicles were 36-40 mph.

There were 3,225 outgoing vehicles, of which 88.4% were under 25 mph, 10% were 26-30 mph, 1% 31-35 mph, five vehicles averaged 36-40 mph and two

“It doesn’t seem like a problem to me,” Kitzler said about vehicles speeding in that area.

Kitzler also gave an example of a drone flight and said there are files available for every flight they do and can be requested as a public record. Records show the path, altitude, speed and where the camera is pointing.

“You can’t really get any more transparent than that,” he said.

• Heard former Councilman Greg Marquette ask the status of the splash pads in from of the city municipal building and at the rec center.

While he was on council both projects were approved, he said.

Zuchowski-Eckel said the facilities committee canceled the plans for the splash pad at the municipal building as the city focused on the fire department.

“We could not in good conscience approve that project while we were facing the issues that we’re facing,” Reynolds said.

“So, you guys can’t handle more than one thing at one time, is that what you’re saying?” Marquette said.

Reynold said the splash pad at the rec center was never brought to the facilities committee.