Liberty Township fire chief announces ISO improvement, seeks 2.4‑mill levy to fund third ambulance

Liberty Township Fire Chief Reardon told the Powell City Council on April 1 that the department’s Insurance Services Office (ISO) public protection classification has improved from a Class 3 to a Class 2 and that residents will vote May 6 on a proposed 2.4‑mill levy intended to fund staffing and a round‑the‑clock third ambulance.

The change in ISO rating was announced during the department’s quarterly update. Chief Reardon said the department also completed a joint forcible‑entry training with Powell police, received two truckloads of hose through a federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant and plans to publish a letter about the ISO change so residents can share it with insurers.

The proposed 2.4‑mill levy, Reardon said, would cost homeowners about $84 per year for each $100,000 of property valuation and is aimed at “expanding staffing and life‑safety programs for timely and effective response,” including placing a third ambulance in service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Reardon said the levy is intended to help the department balance growing expenses without cutting services.

Reardon cautioned that he could not state definitively that specific layoffs or elimination of overtime would occur without the levy, but added, “we're gonna be in a deficit at the end of '26” if current trends continue. He said the department expects increasing call volumes and rising costs that will outpace current levy collections.

The chief described staffing shortfalls in several areas: fire prevention staffing that once included three full‑time and one part‑time position is down to two full‑time employees, and the department has not yet replaced two 40‑hour captain positions that previously handled EMS training, purchasing and support services. Reardon said a planned 40‑hour EMS coordinator position would also serve as a community paramedic to work with frequent‑call addresses and local service providers to reduce repeat emergency calls.

On billing, Reardon said the department performs soft billing through a third‑party vendor and that its contract recently moved from Optum (formerly used) to MediCount, in Cincinnati. He said negotiated insurer rates make unilateral rate increases difficult and resource‑intensive for department staff to pursue.

City Manager Andrew D. White told council that administration and the finance director have offered to help the fire department prepare outreach materials explaining the levy; White said the administration does not intend to advocate for a ballot outcome but will provide information to help voters decide.

Why it matters: an improved ISO rating can lower insurance costs for some property owners, and adding a third ambulance and more staff would affect emergency‑response capacity across the area served by Liberty Township. The levy would be decided by voters May 6, 2025.

Ending: Chief Reardon said the department will publish the ISO letter and additional materials about the levy in the coming weeks; council members asked staff to work with the department on public information.