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Norwich Township fire department: hires, promotions, FEMA grant and levy planning
Summary
Trustees handled a string of fire‑department personnel moves, accepted grant funding for radio replacement, and advanced options for a fire levy after multi‑month planning and projections.
Norwich Township’s public‑safety agenda in 2012 combined routine personnel actions with forward‑looking planning for a potential fire levy and equipment modernization.
Early in the year the Board accepted the resignation of Firefighter Shawn Merz effective Dec. 29, 2011 and approved hiring Morgan Von Lohr to fill a vacancy (#120103.04, #120103.05). On Jan. 17 trustees approved hiring Jay Roof as a firefighter (#120117.02). Chief Kaufman later oversaw internal promotions and a change in leadership: Assistant Chief Bob Kaufman was promoted to Fire Chief and a badge‑pinning ceremony was recorded in the minutes.
Captain Papa reported the department received approximately $199,000 in FEMA grant funding to replace safety communications equipment, a necessary upgrade to move to the next generation of radios under mandated banding changes. The minutes record that “this FEMA grant will cover the cost to replace almost all of the radios which would have been an inevitable expense for the Township over the next few years.” That grant, combined with other smaller awards and cost decreases in equipment, allowed the department to install additional radios and equipment in 2012.
The Board also spent several planning sessions on a proposed 2013 fire levy. At the May planning meeting trustees discussed levy options and asked supervisors to prepare capital lists and long‑range projections. In a Dec. 11 special planning meeting trustees reviewed certified options for $3.0 million, $3.5 million and $4.0 million and authorized moving forward toward a final decision in January once year‑end balances were known; the Board approved a levy‑necessity resolution on Dec. 11 to begin the formal certification process (#121211.01).
Personnel management and discipline were also part of the year: in June trustees approved a Last Chance Agreement for a firefighter that included a 32‑hour unpaid suspension (#120619.03). In November and December the Board approved promotions effective year‑end: Captain Mike Isham and Lieutenant George Sorge were promoted with effective dates recorded in the minutes (#121120.02). The Board and staff reiterated that maintaining service levels and balancing budgets were drivers behind discussing a new levy, not simply replacing an existing levy.
Next steps: Financial projections prepared by the fiscal office will inform the Board’s January 2013 decision about levy size and timing; staff will continue to submit capital needs lists to support any ballot measure.
