Hiram council pays $2,800 amid dispute over Community EMS billing as fire chief search continues

The Hiram Village Council voted 6-0 on March 17 to pay a $2,800 invoice from Community EMS after a dispute over billing for 33.5 hours of coverage, while the council discussed staffing changes and a search for a new fire chief.

Mayor Anne Haynam told council members she was concerned the village was being back-billed "at a rate of $1,200 per day" for a period longer than services were suspended. Haynam outlined steps the village has taken to strengthen recruitment and retention for the fire department, including raising base compensation to rates at or above comparable nearby villages, advertising a Chief of Fire position (posted March 10; application window closes March 27), and seeking a retired chief to consult and mentor Lieutenant Danku.

Chief Christopher Sanchez, who had asked for an update on the Community EMS invoice during public comment, told council the trustees approved a proposed daily rate of $1,200 and that Community EMS had increased staffing. "The dollar figure that was- the $1,200 a day was from my board of trustees. We calculated. We didn't know if this was going to be a two-day problem, a two-month problem, or a two-year problem. And that was why I used that exact terminology. We increased our staffing to 4 personnel on station a day. We had an increased call log anticipated," Sanchez said. He also said two additional staff members began on midnight March 2 and that the $25-per-hour figure reflects what he described as the service's true cost.

Council members asked Sanchez to provide a staffing roster and an hourly breakdown supporting the bill. After the request, council member Ed Frato-Sweeney moved to pay the $2,800 invoice "as submitted," seconded by J. Fernandez; the motion passed 6-0.

The payment resolves the village's immediate obligation for that invoice, but council members also flagged broader budget and personnel implications. Fiscal Officer McKenna Miller noted future fire personnel costs will be discussed at the next Finance Committee meeting. Mayor Haynam said the village has taken immediate steps to stabilize coverage while the chief search continues.

What happens next: Sanchez was asked to submit documentation of staffing and cost calculations for the billed period; the council will consider personnel and budget implications at the Finance Committee meeting and continues to accept applications for the Chief of Fire position through March 27.