Get the facts on Berlin Twp's fire levy

Editor's note: Berlin Township trustee Mike Old provided information about the government's upcoming levy voters will see on the Nov. 2 ballot. The issue: A 1-mill, five-year renewal levy for fire protection, ambulance and emergency medical services; to begin in 2021 if approved BERLIN TWP. — We have a renewal levy on the ballot that will generate $138,000 annually over the next five years. With this being a renewal levy, it won't create any new taxes. The cost to the homeowners of a $100,000 house (per year) would be $28.11. The money generated will be used for fire protection, ambulance and emergency medical services. These services are very important to the township. Some may be surprised, but, in Berlin Township, our first responders make runs almost daily. Even though we are a small town, we take pride in the quality of the services we provide. I would also note that Berlin Township is the only all-volunteer fire department in Erie County. To perform these services at a high level, it takes the latest up-to-date equipment as well as many hours of training. It is very important to maintain and replace the equipment as needed, and our people do a great job staying on top of that. There are regulations on some of the emergency equipment as to how long it can be used. After so many years, some items just have to be replaced. The world is constantly changing, and we have to be able to adapt to those changes and challenges as they come up and be fiscally responsible at the same time. Technology is always improving, and this levy enables us to keep improving also. Along with equipment, training is another key component for any emergency responder whether it's firemen, EMTs or police. These people deal with all kinds of situations, and we have to be able to provide them the tools and best training available. Some of the tasks our emergency responders do require that they be certified. We do a lot of training on site, but there is also a lot of training that has to happen off site, the money generated from this levy will help provide that. North Central EMS houses an ambulance at the fire station. This allows a quick response time for our township residents. Our firefighters often assist on these runs. The Erie County Sheriffs (Office) also has an office in the building. In summary, I would like to ask the residents of Berlin Township to support this renewal levy. This would allow us to maintain our equipment, upgrade to newer equipment as needed and provide the latest training for our first responders. As we face the challenges of today's world, it's important that we continue to provide emergency services at the highest level for the residents of Berlin Township.