Champion and Southington announce temporary emergency service agreement | News, Sports, Jobs

SOUTHINGTON — For the past 11 years, the Champion Fire Department has been providing emergency medical service to neighboring Southington, and the 12th year is likely to begin now that a tentative agreement has been reached between the two counties.

Trustees from both communities met Tuesday to discuss the details of a new agreement.

Champion Trustee Rex Fee said if everything looks good after review, Champion officials will approve the contract at the Dec. 2 meeting.

Southington Board of Trustees Member Charles Hagman said the trustees meeting will be held Dec. 11.

Fee said they will announce the details and costs of the deal once both boards approve it. Southington now pays Champion $40,000 annually for emergency and fire service, and that contract expires Dec. 31.

The contract will be for one year, effective January 1, he said.

Champion and Southington officials agreed the contract was necessary, Fee said. He said that there was a possibility that the contract could be extended for another 3 years.

Both counties included a fire tax on the ballot that passed on Nov. 5. Southington had a 1.9-mill, five-year rolling fire tax renewal generating $188,000 annually, while Champion had a 1.2-mill, five-year fire tax renewal generating $150,000 annually.

Champion Fire Chief Tom Dempsey said the department has seen an increase in calls, and last year the department made 98 transports from Southington.

Before the election, Southington officials said they could staff the fire department with more firefighters if the tax passed. There is an agreement with Farmington Township to provide firefighters to staff Southington throughout the day.

Southington Fire Chief Scott Bower said the fire department’s budget is $142,000 annually and the tax would generate an additional $188,000. He said $158,000 was used for 12-hour staffing.

Champion Trustee Doug Emerine said it is necessary to enact the fire renewal tax or there will be staff cuts.

He said that with the tax passed, the fire department will be able to staff more firefighters at the station, which will help Champion and the counties it provides mutual aid to.