Officials from two cities west of Wayne have agreed to work together to address fire safety issues.
East Germantown hosted a town hall meeting on Thursday, August 8. Council President Steve Mills led members and residents in questioning past, current and potential future contracts with the City of Cambridge regarding fire protection.
East Germantown now offers quarterly conversations to help residents understand what their money is being used for.
East Germantown does not have its own fire department or fire hydrants, so the city and the town of Cambridge have had an agreement for several years to respond to emergency calls.
The Cambridge City Volunteer Fire Department began responding to East Germantown after Dublin Fire/EMS suspended service.
East Germantown’s current contract is $3,000 per year.
Cambridge City Treasurer Sherry Ervin and councilors Debbie McGinley and Jim McLane were in attendance and said they would get answers. They said they understood their neighbors’ concerns about responsible spending.
For example, they agreed to find out how many emergency calls the CCVFD responded to in East Germantown and whether these were not just fires, but also medical emergencies, car accidents or other concerns.
In addition to fires, the CCVFD is currently dispatched to accompany Reid EMS on certain medical calls in west Wayne and receives no compensation for this service.
Cambridge City Council said the CCVFD needs help covering rising costs such as fuel, clothing and maintenance of the fire station and vehicles. Volunteers also receive small annual bonuses.
The City of Cambridge also has fire service contracts with Jackson Township and Mount Auburn.
McLane said East Germantown pays about $7 per resident, which is about $3 less than Jackson Township.
However, East Germantown councilors said their town is part of Jackson Township, so they wondered if they were being double billed.
Councillors also said they had investigated and were convinced that the City of Cambridge could charge building insurers $500 or more per call.
If a future fire protection contract is needed, Mills said East Germantown is interested in extending it for several years to make budget planning easier. He said if the price rises above $3,000 per year, the town may have to add a fire protection surcharge to sewer bills.
Gene Kates, who helps East Germantown with inspections, said the city should also consider building a well to facilitate firefighting water use, but the cost was not known.
If there were no fire protection in East Germantown, “they would put me on a cart with a hose and a helmet,” Treasurer Carleene Collins said to laughter.
A version of this article appears in the August 14, 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
