BRISTOL — Township residents and officials are concerned about what will happen with emergency medical service because of a lack of staffing at the fire department.

There also has been discussion on a possible joint fire district with neighboring townships.

Resident Mark Little told trustees at Tuesday’s meeting he has reached out to officials at local joint fire districts in both Mahoning and Trumbull counties on what they did to survive.

Little said he spoke with David Comstock of the Western Reserve Fire District in Poland, which he was told has all part-time staff.

“Fire districts are an option we can talk about since many fire departments are struggling with staffing issues to provide EMS. It is an issue at the national, state and local levels,” Little said.

He said the Bristol Fire Department may not have coverage at the station 50% of the time and has relied on Champion and other neighboring departments for EMS.

Little said officials in Champion and Farmington said they also struggle with staffing issues. He said Mecca gets EMS from the Bazetta and Cortland fire departments.

He said Comstock told him there needs to be agreements among township officials and fire departments on having a joint fire district and how it would be financed, such as through a levy.

Little said he spoke to fire officials from the Newton Falls Joint Fire District and the Cardinal Joint Fire District in Canfield about how they get community support in providing operational funds for the districts.

Bristol Fire Chief Steve Craiger said he has always supported the idea of a joint fire district for the area.

“I have supported joint fire districts since I have been here. We should have had one 20 years ago,” Craiger said.

Little said the Bristol population is aging and the need for EMS is increasing.

Trustees have said there are no volunteer firefighters, which results in a lack of coverage. Craiger has said the township pays Bazetta, Johnston, Cortland and Champion $280 per EMS run, and Bloomfield $282 per run.

SHERIFF CONTRACT

In other business, trustees voted on a new one-year contract for protection from the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office.

Trustees Doug Seemann and Mark Waldeck voted in favor of the contract, while trustee Rhonda Snyder voted against it.

The sheriff’s office will provide 13 hours per week of service in the township for $29,000. The sheriff’s department also uses office space at the fire department.

Sheriff Mike Wilson, who was at the meeting, said a sheriff’s deputy will attend one trustee meeting per month and provide a monthly report.

Snyder asked if the sheriff’s department would still respond to the township if there was no contract, and Wilson said yes. He said communities with contracts will have more sheriff’s presence in the community, but they respond to all townships regardless of contract.

Snyder said while she appreciates all the sheriff’s department does, she can’t support paying someone $43 per hour when the fire department is struggling and pays EMT staff $16 per hour and medics $18 per hour.

Also, Waldeck said he spoke with resident Mary Ann Raidel of the Bristol Historical Society about plans for America250-Ohio events in the township.

He said activities will be at the school in April and May, a time capsule burial at a food truck night and an event on July 4.

FIBER OPTIC INSTALLATION

Officials also said Britespeed will be in the township putting in underground fiber optic lines but noted there have been concerns in other communities where yards are dug up and roads damaged.

Officials said there have been issues in Champion where fiber optic lines were being installed. Seemann said Britespeed will be required to make repairs for excavating damage or road damage.