Munson Township Fire Officials Concerned About Delays at Mayfield-Auburn Intersection
During the May 25 Munson Township Trustees meeting, Assistant Fire Chief Brian Gray said the fire department is concerned it has not received any Opticom equipment for the emergency vehicles.
During the May 25 Munson Township Trustees meeting, Assistant Fire Chief Brian Gray said the fire department is concerned it has not received any Opticom equipment for the emergency vehicles.
The Opticom GPS System assists authorized priority vehicles through signalized intersections by providing temporary rights-of-way through the use of common traffic lights, according to the Opticom website.
The township trustees and fire officials said in previous meetings they are concerned about the major road work being done at the intersection of Mayfield and Auburn roads, where Auburn is expected to be limited to one lane in a few weeks. The Ohio Department of Transportation is adding turn lanes to the busy corner.
Without the benefit of the Opticom emergency vehicle preemption systems, ambulances and fire trucks leaving the fire station on Auburn Road and going south could be stalled in traffic, they said.
In previous trustees meetings, it was discussed representatives from the ODOT agreed to provide the Opticom equipment for Munson’s vehicles before June 15, when the road is due to become one lane, Bushman said last week.
As of Friday, the township had not received the equipment, he said.
“(The Opticom systems) are needed for all fire stations,” Bushman said, adding when emergency vehicles are called out, “every minute counts.”
In other business, Gray said updating the computers and radios in eight Munson Township Fire Department emergency vehicles may carry a hefty price tag.
Gray said he recently attended a Geauga County Fire Chiefs Association meeting and learned the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office is planning to replace the equipment it uses for dispatching in emergency situations because the current equipment has become outdated.
“It seems like we just went through this and got newer ones,” he told trustees, adding the units cost about $3,600 each.
Munson Township Fire Department will need eight units for ambulances and fire vehicles, he said.
Gray said he also learned a third round of COVID-19 funds is due to be dispersed to Ohio counties and Geauga County may receive as much as $18 million, potentially providing money to help cover infrastructure and technology upgrades.
He urged trustees to reach out to county commissioners and lobby “…to make sure it goes where it needs to go.”
During a phone interview May 28, Trustee Andy Bushman said it is uncertain if townships will receive any COVID-19 funding directly.
“In reality, it doesn’t go to the township level unless approved by county commissioners,” Bushman said, adding he had discussed the matter with one commissioner.
Both Bushman and Gray said if the townships do receive a portion, it will have to be spent on items or services covered by the rules for the relief funds.
Gray said the sheriff agreed to get the departments more information about pricing of the new computer systems and when they will need to be installed.
