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Council refers non‑governmental EMS ordinance to Safety Committee after Fire Chief’s presentation
Summary
Fire Chief Perko presented an ordinance to regulate non‑governmental emergency medical responders and ambulances, citing unified command, training standards and liability protection; Council referred the measure to the Safety Committee and requested Hatzalah and John Carroll attend for discussion.
Fire Chief Perko reviewed Ordinance 2025‑41 on Sept. 2, asking Council to consider rules for non‑governmental emergency medical responders operating in the city. Perko said the ordinance would codify unified command at incidents, require minimum standards for non‑governmental responders (training, medical direction, insurance, HIPAA compliance), preserve mutual aid, and reduce city legal risk by requiring oversight of non‑governmental EMS groups.
"The ordinance is fairly self‑explanatory and coincides with the comprehensive statement I provided back in June," Perko said, adding that similar ordinances exist in other Ohio cities and nationwide.
Councilmember Threse Marshall moved to send the ordinance to the Safety Committee and asked that Hatzalah and John Carroll University representatives be invited to the committee discussion; the motion passed unanimously. Council agreed the Safety Committee should review the ordinance’s standards and hear from stakeholders before any first reading on final adoption.
What happened: Council referred Ordinance 2025‑41 to the Safety Committee for further study and stakeholder input. The committee will schedule representatives from local non‑governmental EMS providers and John Carroll University to attend.
Why it matters: The ordinance would set enforceable standards for private or volunteer EMS responders operating in the city, clarifying command, training, reporting and liability expectations while preserving mutual aid relationships.
What’s next: Safety Committee review and stakeholder meetings to refine operational and legal provisions before returning recommendations to full Council.
