Lockland voters to decide on fire levy aimed at funding full-time paramedics

When someone calls 911, every second counts when it comes to emergency response.

Lockland Fire Chief Doug Wehmeyer said fire crews respond to calls for service in less than three minutes on average.

Right now, the department relies on part-time staffing for paramedic services. Wehmeyer said, even with their strong response times, staffing challenges can make things difficult.

Managing a part-time schedule to have five guys, five firefighter EMTs or firefighter paramedics on duty a day is a challenge," Wehmeyer said.

WATCH: Hear why Wehmeyer said passing the levy will help them continue having strong response times:

He said maintaining those response times means upgrading how the department staffs its crews.

Next week, Lockland voters will decide on an 8-mill tax levy.

Wehmeyer said it will generate roughly $600,000 annually for the fire department. He said the money would help the department fund two full-time paramedics.

"Currently, we rely on part-time staffing to provide our paramedic service, and that's a dangerous gamble," Wehmeyer said.

In addition to money from the village's general fund, the department also relies on two existing 4-mill tax levies.

One of those levies expires at the end of the year. If the new levy passes, Wehmeyer said village council will eliminate the other 4-mill levy.

According to the Hamilton County Auditor's Office, the estimated cost for the new levy is $280 for each $100,000 of market value.

If this fails, there would be a reduction seen inside the village, and it would be up to the elected body to decide if that is in the fire department or other essential services throughout the village," Wehmeyer said.

Wehmeyer said he appreciates the support the community consistently shows the fire department.

He said approving the levy would guarantee paramedic staffing and give residents the best chance of getting help when they need it.

Its all about the level of service the citizens in this town want, right?" Wehmeyer said. "When you call 911, having someone there in 3 minutes that can make a change in the outcome for you is huge.