Levy Facts
Delhi Township Fire Department is requesting an additional 1.99 mill operating levy to be voted on Tuesday November 7th, 2023. This would cost the owner of a $100K home an additional $5.83 per month. This levy is designed to fund the fire department’s emergency operation and community risk reduction programs for a minimum of three years and bring an additional $1.05M in revenue to the department annually.
Delhi Township Fire Department’s projected 2024 operating budget is just over $7.5 Million. The projected revenue from property tax and EMS reimbursement is approximately $5.3 Million annually. The additional requested revenue would bring the annual projected revenue for operations up to $6.3M. The additional revenue if approved by the voters would sufficiently fund operations to maintain a current daily staffing of 10 personnel, three paramedic level ambulances, and community risk reduction programs through 2026. The fire department would not be able to maintain sufficient operational levels without additional revenue over the next three years. This would have a negative impact on the fire department’s ability to provide the level of service residents currently receive.
About 79% of calls handled by the fire department are medical emergencies. Fire personnel responded to 4,200 incidents in 2022, representing a 16% increase over the previous four-year average.
“Researchers found that the average time for an EMS unit to arrive on the scene from the time of a 911 call was seven minutes.” Medical News Bulletin October 5, 2017 https://www.medicalnewsbulletin.com/response-time-emergency-medical-services/
Delhi Township has an average ambulance arrival time of 4 minutes, 42 seconds from the time of the 911 call and average 4 minute, 41 seconds arrival time for a fire apparatus.
A comparison of 2019 expenses from the Fire Levy fund and the projected expenses in 2024 illustrates the significance of personnel costs on this fund.
Personnel expenses increased by 26% since 2019 as the department has experienced a 95% increase in Medical/Hospitalization insurance as well as a 80% increase in Worker’s Compensation Insurance. The recruitment and retention of part time fire personnel represents the most significant factor affecting the fire department’s operation.
The majority of non-municipal fire departments in the Greater Cincinnati region began transitioning from more part-time personnel to more full-time personnel shifting the priority to hiring qualified firefighters that were certified paramedics. The market for these personnel was quickly depleted, leave agencies short staffed and competing for the same personnel.
Today, Delhi Township Fire Department has just 15 part-time personnel, with only 2 having the certification of paramedic. The retention rate of the 26 personnel hired over the last 5 years is just 25%, as the department has experienced a departure of 38 personnel during that same time period. Thirty of those departures left because of receiving full-time employment at other fire departments.
The Delhi Township Fire Department proudly provides the following Fire prevention and Community Risk reduction programs:
Fire Prevention Services:
- Fire Safety and Education (On or Off site)
- Residential Safety and Fire Inspections
- American Red Cross Smoke Detector Program partner
- Business, Assisted Living and Educational facility Fire Safety Inspections
Community Risk Reduction Service:
- Fall Prevention
- Elder and Child Advocacy consultations
- Public Health Issues
- Addiction Services
- Social Services (Veterans Affairs, Medicare, Hospice consultations)
- Car Seat Inspection
- Safesitter® Instruction
- Stop the Bleed ™ Instruction
- ASHI CPR and AED Instruction
- Take 10 CPR
- Blood Pressure Checks
- Athletic Trainer Orientation Training
- Nurse’s Aid Training