NEW LONDON — Firelands EMS Chief Jeffrey Scott sent out a letter of thanks and appreciation Wednesday morning to residents and friends of the Firelands Ambulance Service District.
Firelands EMS’ five-year, 1-mill levy was renewed by voters in Ashland and Huron counties.
According to final, unofficial vote totals from the Ashland County Board of Elections and Huron County Board of Elections, the measure passed by a count of 1,290 (57.20 percent) in favor and 965 (42.79) opposed.
According to county auditor estimates, the levy will collect $134,120 annually at a cost to homeowners of $24 per each $100,000 of the county auditor’s market value per year (or $2 per month). As a renewal, this is money that’s already being paid by such a property owner and is not a new tax.
Below is Scott’s message to residents:
Dear residents and friends of Firelands EMS,
On behalf of the entire Firelands Ambulance Service District and EMS family, I want to extend my deepest and most sincere appreciation to the residents of our communities for your support and continued confidence in Firelands EMS.
Your support means more to us than words can adequately express. It serves as a powerful reminder of the trust our communities place in the dedicated men and women who answer the call when you, your family or your neighbors need emergency medical care.
Since 1978, Firelands EMS has been privileged to serve our communities. Throughout those years, much has changed in emergency medical services, but one thing has remained constant: our commitment to providing compassionate, professional and patient-focused care to every person who needs us.
Your continued support allows us to carry forward that mission, strengthen our ability to serve and continue working toward dependable emergency medical services for our communities.
We also recognize that your support comes with a tremendous responsibility. As your EMS chief, I want you to know that we do not take that responsibility, or your trust, lightly. We remain committed to being responsible stewards of the resources entrusted to us, supporting our dedicated EMS professionals and volunteers, supporting and helping our surrounding mutual aid partners and agencies and continually seeking ways to improve the services we provide.
I also want to acknowledge that members of our community may have held different perspectives regarding the future funding of our EMS service. We respect those differences and I want to personally assure every resident that our commitment to you remains the same, regardless of those perspectives. When you call 911, we do not ask how you voted, what you believe or whether you supported us. We simply answer the call and we will work hard to fulfill our mission in your time of need.
Every person in our service district deserves compassionate, professional and respectful emergency medical care. That has always been our mission and it will continue to guide everything we do.
To those who may have had questions or concerns, please know that your voices matter, too. We remain committed to transparency, responsible stewardship, open communication and earning the trust of every resident we serve. Whether you supported the measure or had reservations, Firelands EMS is committed to your care when emergencies happen. We are here for you, we care about you and we are honored to serve you.
To the residents of New London Village, New London Township, Fitchville Township, Ruggles Township and Troy Township: THANK YOU!
Thank you for believing in the importance of emergency medical services. Thank you for standing behind our EMS professionals and volunteers. Most importantly, thank you for allowing us the continued privilege of serving you.
We are more than a 911-EMS service. We are your neighbors, your friends and people who are proud to serve you in times of need.
Our communities may not always agree on every issue, but when an emergency happens, we stand together. At Firelands EMS, our commitment to serving you will never depend on how you vote. It depends only on your need for help.
Our promise to you remains unchanged: to serve with compassion, professionalism, integrity and an unwavering commitment to putting our patients and communities first.
From all of us at Firelands EMS, thank you for your trust, your confidence and your support. We are truly grateful for the opportunity to continue serving you. Never hesitate to reach out to me if you have questions, concerns or would like more information, or just want to be informed. I can be easily reached by email: chief@firelandsems.gov.
With sincere appreciation and gratitude,
Jeffrey Scott
EMS Chief
Firelands Ambulance Service District
https://firelandsems.gov/
