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Residents and fire chief urge approval of Delhi Township fire levy after life-saving responses
Summary
At the April 29 Delhi Township trustees meeting multiple residents recounted life-saving emergency responses and Chief Campbell highlighted the department’s ISO Class 2 rating while urging voters to approve a fire-department levy on the May ballot.
At the April 29 meeting of the Delhi Township Board of Trustees, residents gave emotional testimony urging passage of an upcoming fire-department tax levy, saying fast Delhi EMS responses had saved lives.
Pete Feitner told trustees that a swift Delhi life-squad response to his wife's medical emergency "literally... saved her life," saying paramedics got her to the hospital quickly and immediate treatment prevented a fatal outcome. Sharon Reynolds, Mike McDonough and Chelsea Farsing each gave firsthand accounts of Delhi firefighters and paramedics responding to chest pain, diabetic episodes and a sudden cardiac arrest; Farsing said, "Within minutes our fire and paramedic team was in action... we got his pulse back." These speakers urged residents to vote yes on the levy scheduled for the following Tuesday.
Chief Campbell, who briefed the board on the department's recent performance, told trustees the department maintained an ISO Class 2 rating with a score of 87 (up from 82) and missed a Class 1 classification by 2.19 points. He said that classification translates into insurance savings for property owners — "you will continue to enjoy up to 25% in reductions for your homeowner's insurance for fire protection" — and warned that reduced funding would lead to diminished service and possible "brownouts" in coverage.
Trustees underscored uncontrollable cost pressures — rising medical, gasoline and diesel costs in particular — and offered residents concrete examples of the levy’s local cost: the board cited roughly 92¢ per day for a $300,000 home, 65¢ per day for a $200,000 home and 30¢ per day for a $100,000 home. Fiscal and budget oversight was discussed; Feitner, who said he served on the township’s financial advisory board and is a CPA, told trustees he reviewed department budgets and found them legitimate.
No board action on the levy itself occurred at the meeting; trustees encouraged residents to review posted materials, contact township staff with questions, and vote on the ballot measure on Tuesday.
Next steps: the levy will be decided by the voters in the scheduled election; trustees and staff encouraged residents to consult the township’s informational pages and contact the township at the published phone number for details.
