Brief Fire Department History

The last few years have not been easy for the Fire Department, starting back in 2005 when former trustees tried to increase the fire tax by over 200% while the department was consistently spending more than its revenue. I was part of C.A.T., Citizens for Accountable Taxation, which lead the fight against that huge tax increase, believing that we can maintain quality services without exorbitant tax increases. Following that defeat, Pam Hanley and I were elected at Trustees and we began the work of doing just that.

It took a while, but finally I was able to sit down with various stakeholders in the community, including City of Sylvania officials and members of Safe Sylvania, to help build consensus and a compromise on what the community can afford and what the fire department needs. Everyone was in agreement that new facilities and equipment were needed (due both to the age of the facilities/equipment and due to past neglect); we needed more flexibility in staffing; and we needed a volunteer force that supports the work of the full-time firefighters, especially in dealing with high-demand events such as extreme weather conditions or a large structure fire.

The end result of my efforts to find a compromise was the 1.25 Mill Levy which was approved by voters in March 2008. The levy will provide for four new fire engines (three of which we have already taken delivery of and are putting in to service); renovation of Station #4 and construction of three new stations; hiring of five new firefighters including adding a new day-shift to provide better flexibility and help address training/overtime issues; and a revamped volunteer force. Work has begun on each part of the levy promises, with some portions having been completed.

In looking back both at the failed 2005 Fire Levy and the successful 2004 Police levy which, as indicated by our continued tax holiday more than adequately funds the police department, it becomes apparent that prior boards thought we needed to spend more, a lot more, to maintain quality services and even expand those services extensively. Part of this can be attributed to population trends that indicated Sylvania Township was going to grow 10,000-15,000 people in the current decade. Such growth rates have not been realized. But beyond that, it is important to note that when asked to, better yet - when expected to, these departments can remain in budget; they can provide top-quality services at a price our community can afford.