Woodville Township EMS' fate hangs on levy-vote outcome
10/8/2008The continuation of Woodville Township's emergency medical service hinges on the renewal of a five-year, 2.5-mill levy Nov. 4.
The tax is the overwhelming source of funding for the township's and the village of Woodville's emergency medical service team, known as Life Squad 91, township fiscal officer Lori Kepus said. The volunteer fire department uses the $144,613 the tax generates annually to contract with North Central EMS for six rotating advanced life support medical technicians. The employees operate from the township's fire department 24 hours a day, seven days a week year round.
The squad responds to about 300 emergency calls a year and has an average response time of three minutes in the village and five minutes in the township, Ms. Kepus said.
"We just feel that this is too important of a service not to have in your village," she said.
The service draws a portion of its funding from the Sandusky County commissioners. But that total is declining. The commissioners contributed $36,000 to the department last year - a 55 percent reduction from the previous year, according to Woodville officials.
The levy would not raise voters' taxes.