CHAMPION — The Champion Township Trustees plan to meet this month with neighboring officials to discuss changes to mutual aid for paramedics and emergency medical services.

Trustee Chairman Doug Emerine said at Tuesday’s meeting that Champion Township will charge new fees for providing mutual aid but will not begin billing until after discussions with neighboring communities, possibly next week.

“We want to make this work for all our neighbors. We will not start charging those townships the new rates until we hold a meeting. We want to get everyone on the same page of what we are doing and why,” Emerine said.

Fire Chief Tom Dempsey said the new policy went into effect April 1 but the township will not begin implementing the fees and billing other communities until after a meeting with Bristol and Warren townships.

Dempsey said he is waiting to hear from those communities’ officials about scheduling a meeting.

Under the new policy, Champion will bill the medical insurance of patients for the medical care and transport provided. The township also has the ability to invoice the other township for medical assist fees of $285 and the EMT assist fee of $150 per occurrence when the fire department is understaffed.

If Champion responds to another community while understaffed, Champion will bill that township a fee of $750 per transport and $100 for non-transport calls.

Dempsey said Champion EMS made five mutual aid calls to Bristol Township in March and received one from Bristol. Champion made 11 mutual aid calls to Warren Township and received none in return, he said.

He said Bazetta Township does provide mutual aid to Champion and vice versa, and he said they have a good working relationship.

Trustee Rick York praised Bazetta for returning an equal amount of mutual aid calls back to Champion but noted often Champion makes EMS calls to other communities who usually do not reciprocate with mutual aid to Champion or do very little.

Emerine said the new mutual aid policy needed to be put in place since the fire department, like most others, is short-staffed and cannot always leave the township to respond elsewhere when Champion residents pay for the service.

Officials said the new fee policy is only for EMS and paramedic mutual aid, not fire mutual aid.

York said if another community has a fire and needs help, Champion will be there.

Emerine said Champion will respond with mutual aid for any fire call with no fee.

Trustee Tom Jeffers said the new rates are to give other fire departments “a wake-up call” about how difficult it is to not have enough staff at the Champion Fire Department and having to be called often to other townships who are also struggling to staff their departments.

“They have to understand that we will help them, but they can’t always rely on us and need to be taking care of their own communities. We want them to look at what they can do for their own departments so they are not always relying on Champion,” Jeffers said.

Emerine said many fire departments are struggling to get staff for covering all shifts, which is very challenging.

“I wish I had the answer to fix this. It is a nationwide problem for fire departments. We want to have everyone come to the table and discuss ideas,” Emerine said.

Champion’s first priority is serving its own residents, he said.

The township currently has a mutual aid contract with Southingtown Township and is discussing similar agreements with Bristol and Warren townships.

The new policy would require an EMS agreement in which Champion will become a provider of EMS for that township. The township currently has such a contract with Southington, paying $40,000 annually for Champion to respond to its EMS calls. That contract runs through 2027.