The Township of Leesburg officially joined the Northwestern Joint Fire District on Thursday.
Trustees of the Leesburg, Liberty, Taylor and York townships met for a special meeting in conjunction with the Northwestern Joint Fire District Board meeting on Wednesday to sign multiple resolutions regarding the merger.
“I’m excited about this,” said Logan Rife, president of the Northwestern Joint Fire District. “We have a very unique opportunity to not just take over an entity and run with it but start one from the ground up. I believe that comes with some added responsibility because everything we do, we can’t just think about tomorrow, we have to think about 30 years from now. And everything we do right now sets a precedent for generations to come.”
He added that the board has taken “careful consideration” about the merger, especially because the Northwestern Joint Fire District is a new organization. The district was established in 2020.
“I applaud everyone’s efforts and congratulate everyone,” Rife said. “I’m looking forward to all working together.”
Northwestern Fire Chief Tim Merrick said the resolutions approved Wednesday were reviewed by Union County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Thayne Gray and Attorney David “Chip” Comstock of the Bonezzi, Switzer, Polito & Hupp firm, who specializes in fire district law. Comstock is Northwestern’s attorney, and Gray reviewed the legal documents on behalf of the Leesburg Township.
The Northwestern Joint Fire District Board first authorized the expansion of the district by adding Leesburg Township as a member.
According to the resolution, “this approval is contingent upon the Northwestern Joint Fire District and the Township Leesburg entering into a contract for the provision of fire and related services during the remaining period of Nov. 1, 2022 through Dec. 31, 2022 in an amount not to exceed $88,500.”
The approval was also contingent on entering a lease agreement for the property, vehicles and equipment located at the Leesburg station, 12985 Route 347. The lease agreement is effective from Thursday to Dec. 31, 2023.
With the merger, the district will assist with staffing the Leesburg station. The district will staff two employees to provide fire protection and emergency medical services to the township 24/7.
According to an Agreement for Ambulance and Emergency Medical Services between the Northwestern Joint Fire District and Leesburg Township, “the employees shall provide their services from the Township fire station, utilizing Township owned fire engines, ambulances, emergency medical vehicles, and other equipment which is the subject of a lease agreement between the Fire District and the Township.”
There may be times that the station is not staffed by two employees if they are “on an emergency or service or otherwise engaged in their work duties and responsibilities.”
In return for the assistance with staffing the Leesburg station, the township trustees have agreed to pay the district up to $85,000 by Dec. 31 to reflect the cost of labor for the district.
The Agreement for Ambulance and Emergency Medical Services between the Northwestern Joint Fire District and Leesburg Township is effective from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31 this year.
Currently, the Joint Fire District Board consists of Liberty Township Trustee Jerry McClary, Taylor Township Trustee Beth Marshall and York Township Trustee Rife. As part of the merger, the Northwestern Joint Fire District Board will add a fourth voting member, who is a Leesburg Township trustee. Each trustee on the board serves a three-year term, which is staggered among the other members’ terms. When each representative’s term ends, the respective township will appoint a new trustee to serve a term.
Rife said the board could “add a fifth at-large member to have an odd number for voting purposes.”
“We’re not in a big rush. We don’t have to have that done by next month,” he said. “I would encourage everyone to be thinking of community members that are community minded that would like to serve.”
He explained that ideally the board would like to add the fifth member by Jan. 1, 2023.
“I think it’s something that we want to take our time on because it’s going to be a voting member of this board, someone that we’ll be working with, so please keep that in mind,” Rife said.