By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com

With the new year there are some new faces in the Central Joint Ambulance District, but they could be facing some familiar obstacles in the future.

Holding their organizational meeting, the ambulance board voted Jamie Sherk as its president for 2016. Sherk’s first order of business was appointing Jason Long as vice president. Board members unanimously approved the appointment.

The board also approved Sherk’s appointment of current secretary Milton Underwood to remain in that post for 2016. As a result of being president, Sherk had to resign from the Oversight Committee. Sherk appointed Terry Leonhart to replace him on that committee.

Befoore his term as president concluded, Dale Sipe delivered a speech wrapping up the past year for the ambulance district.

“I would like to thank the board for their help. We had a lot of change over the past year,” Sipe said. “I would like to thank the media for their fair coverage of the board. Jesse and Life Support, the $0 subsidy is a huge help. I’m not sure what the future holds with that. I would like to thank the Sheriff’s department for allowing us to use their basement as a meeting place.”

Sipe closed his speech by thanking Crawford EMA Director Tim Flock for his assistance with route times for each of the tiers.

Sipe’s final act as president was to nominate Jamie Sherk as his successor.

Avita Bucyrus Hospital representative Katie Spellman spoke of a looming future issue that the ambulance district will have to face.

“When a business is breaking even it makes it difficult to maintain and upgrade supplies. It may be wise to think about putting up a countywide health services levy to help run the business that the CJAD provides. It will probably take a year or two to plan it out, but it is something that we should be looking at,” Spellman said.

Sipe answered her comments noting that it is a big issue that is not addressable by the ambulance district board, but the county commissioners.

Board officers weren’t the only new faces at the meeting as board welcomed new representatives Wednesday night as well. Steve Pifer (Bucyrus), Ryan Sand (Tod Township), Matt Weber (Jefferson Township), Terry Leonhart (Chatfield Township), Bob White (Jackson Township), J.D. Hord (Bucyrus Township), Tom Sheibly (Cranberry), and Zac Alt (Auburn Township) were all welcomed as part of the district’s board for 2016.

No word on a representative from New Washington was given.

In Life Support’s report, COO Jesse Sipes indicated that the company responded to 253 9-1-1 calls in the month of December with 2,596 total runs in 2015. Board members approved three of the five variances reported for the month of December.