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Fire chief flags EMS surge, stroke certification and major capital needs
Summary
Fire Chief told council EMS transports and patient contacts are up, credited new VAN stroke certification and a Cleveland Clinic partnership for faster care, and outlined major capital items including a $1.1M pumper and a $350K ambulance expected in January, while urging water service extensions for three streets.
The fire chief told Pepper Pike City Council that emergency‑medical contacts and ambulance transports have increased this year and that new clinical certifications and partnerships are raising the department’s level of care.
"We currently operate ... certified firefighter‑paramedics around the clinic," the chief said, noting personnel are ACLS and PALS certified and the department recently added VAN screening for large‑vessel occlusion strokes through a Cleveland Clinic affiliation that, the chief said, helped achieve a 17‑minute door‑to‑needle record at Hillcrest Hospital.
The chief reported 604 patient contacts and 471 ambulance transports so far this year, with an average response time of five minutes, 39 seconds and 93% of EMS calls handled in less than eight minutes. He warned the department faces recruiting challenges — civil‑service rules require 10 candidates to select one — and outlined a promotion process for a lieutenant retiring this year.
On funding, the chief said Pepper Pike’s 4‑mill property tax levy provides limited growth, meaning capital needs must be prioritized. He listed capital items in the proposed 2026 budget: payment this year for a $1.1 million pumper and an ambulance expected January 2026 (approximately $350,000), a $75,000 station alerting upgrade coordinated with neighboring dispatch, and a replacement EMS chase pickup. The chief also asked council to prioritize extending water service to three remaining streets that lack hydrants.
The chief said a state legislative change to ambulance billing rules increased collections and will boost 2026 ambulance revenue to nearly $200,000, but provided no statute citation. Council members pressed for timing and accounting clarity for purchases and for more detail on staffing and training.
