BOARDMAN, Ohio — The Boardman Professional Fire Fighters Local 1176 is warning that the township’s EMS system is on the verge of a “collapse.”
In a letter shared with local media and on social media on Nov. 1, the union said Halloween was a “glaring” example of how serious the staffing problem has become.
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According to the union’s letter, fire crews began Oct. 31 without enough personnel to operate the township’s medic unit. After three medical emergencies between 10 a.m. and shortly after noon, availability problems mounted and continued into the evening, WKBN reported.
The union credited neighboring agencies for mutual aid on multiple calls, including a fatal crash on I-680.
The union said Medic 71, the township’s medical unit, only operates when daily staffing reaches at least 11 personnel. When staffing falls below that threshold, as it did on Halloween, the unit is taken out of service. Fire Chief Mark Pitzer confirmed the union’s account and acknowledged that EMS staffing remains an ongoing challenge.
“We have strived to improve services provided by our fire department to the Boardman community. We were unsuccessful last November with a levy. The EMS system continues to worsen, and we need a solution sooner rather than later,” Pitzer told WKBN. “My personnel have been placed in a very bad situation with no resolution in sight.”
The failed 4.5-mill, 5-year levy would have generated $6.1M annually. Officials had already warned last year that ambulance staffing via overtime wasn’t sustainable. For a $100,000 home, the levy would have cost $158 per year, which some residents opposed.
The union hopes to secure new funding to boost staffing, noting the department remains below NFPA 1710 benchmarks (four per engine, five per ladder) even at full staff.
