Purchased through neighborhood investment program

Two new McCoy-Miller ambulances were added to the fleet of the Lawrence County EMS on Thursday at a cost of almost a quarter of a million dollars.

Now two older models will be retired, keeping the fleet at 11 ambulances. The new ones are equipped with the Stat Trac cot holding system.

“In the long run, we are being up with the best of them in the country,” Buddy Fry, EMS director, told the Lawrence County Commissioners at their Thursday meeting. “We want to be ahead of the curve of care standards in United States. Not that we want to follow the fads.”

The EMS was formed approximately six years ago when the Southeast Ohio Emergency Medical Services was dissolved.

This past year the EMS that has five stations made 11,000 runs.

The ambulances were purchased through the county’s Neighborhood Investment Program.

Lawrence County Treasurer Stephen Burcham reported to the commission that so far property tax collections are up about $1 million at $6.7 million. Last year total first half collections brought in $19.7 million. Taxes are due by March 4 and can be paid in person at the courthouse, online, by mail or at the following banks — Liberty, U.S. Bank, Citizens Deposit.

Ironton attorney Mark McCown reported that there was a tentative agreement with the FOP union contract negotiations with employees at the sheriff’s office.

Employees get step increases; this contract will freeze those steps for the duration of the contract. The contract does add an additional step per year for those employees who have already maxed out in the steps. Approximately 40 employees are affected and are dispatchers, patrol deputies, detectives, corrections officers and process servers.

In other action the commission:

• Approved to the emergency planning commission Stuart Baldwin, Matt Egan, Bobbi Conrad and Ed Jenkins for terms ending on Aug. 14, 2017;

• Received correspondence from Ohio House Speaker Clifford Rosenburger appointing Rep. Ryan Smith, R-93, to the county’s transportation improvement district;

• Appointed Lela McClintock to the planning commission for a three-year term.