Akron Ohio News - Fort Island Primary student honored for bravery

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Fort Island Primary student honored for bravery

3/11/2010 - West Side Leader

By Pam Lifke

Shown from left are Fire Safety Instructor Lydia Wochna and Kodak, Copley Fire Chief Michael Benson, Copley Board of Trustees President Scott Dressler and Summer Dillon, her mother, Karlene Buchanan, and her grandmother Debby Buchanan.

Photo courtesy of Jeff VargaCopley Township Board of Trustees

Nine-year-old Summer Dillon, who called 9-1-1 and assisted emergency personnel when her mother was injured last month, was honored for her bravery at the March 3 Copley Township Board of Trustees meeting.

Board President Scott Dressler presented Dillon, of Rothrock Road, with a proclamation recognizing her efforts.

Fire Chief Michael Benson told trustees Dillon, a student at Fort Island Primary School, put her classroom safety training to use Feb. 20 after her mother, Karlene Buchanan, suffered a fall in the basement of the family’s home. Dillon called 9-1-1 and calmly gave her address and the reason for her call. When emergency personnel arrived at her home, Dillon secured the family dog and answered questions about her mother’s location and condition, Benson said. After emergency personnel decided to transport Buchanan to the hospital, Dillon locked the house and rode with her mother to the hospital, Benson added.

As a bonus, trustees and members of the audience sang “Happy Birthday” to Dillon, since the proclamation was presented to her on her ninth birthday.

Also during the meeting, officials announced the township would dip into its Joint Economic Development District (JEDD) funds to pay for a fire hydrant maintenance program. The board approved an expenditure of $16,000 for seasonal, part-time workers from Flex-Team and materials for the project. The workers, to be supervised by a fire department member, will open the hydrant caps to check the water flow, recap the hydrants and sand and paint them.

Board members said the JEDD agreement with the city of Akron did not specify who would be responsible for maintenance of the hydrants, which are on city of Akron water lines within the township.

“We felt it wasn’t our responsibility, but it obviously won’t get done if we don’t do it,” said Trustee Dale Panovich.

Benson said the fire department plans to perform yearly maintenance on the hydrants and paint them every third year. He added next year’s maintenance (without painting) is estimated to cost $8,000.

The board also approved a memorandum of understanding with unions representing township firefighters, dispatchers, police sergeants and full-time police patrolmen to amend their contracts regarding employee contributions to health insurance benefits. The unions agreed to pay an additional $15 for family coverage and $10 for employee and spouse or employee and child coverage. The township is on a month-to-month contract with its health insurance provider while it continues to seek a provider that will offer better rates. The current health insurance provider, Anthem, increased its rates to the township by 39 percent, a $26,453 increase per month, said Fiscal Officer Janice Marshall. She said the township has been in the process of seeking a new provider since fall. She said the township interviewed four insurance brokers and chose one broker that has been looking for another provider. Marshall said the township is absorbing the current cost of employee health insurance except for the employee contribution.

In other business, the board:

• agreed to a two-year technical service support agreement with Medtronic’s Physio-Control for fire department defibrillators/monitors at a cost of $9,712;

• accepted the 2009 assistance to firefighters grant to fund driver training from Drive Team. The grant will cover 95 percent of the $25,200 training program, with the township to pay a $1,260 match. The training will simulate skids on snow and ice using heavy equipment;

• confirmed employment of six part-time, contractual firefighter/paramedics who have passed all pre-employment testing;

• approved conditional offers of employment to part-time police officers Eric Gable and Paul Thompson, contingent on successful completion of psychological and physical examinations and drug screening;

• approved sending Township Administrator Peggy Spraggins to the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Safety Congress and Expo in Columbus at a cost of $109, plus meals and transportation;

• approved a maintenance agreement for two night-vision goggles from the Naval Surface Warfare Center at a cost of $600;

• approved training for police personnel;

• approved a maintenance and support agreement for the police records and mapping software for 2010 at a cost of $6,230;

• announced regular township tornado siren tests will resume March 27 and will be performed each Saturday at noon; and

• amended a purchase order to Otis Elevator for a five-year maintenance agreement for the town hall elevator for a total cost of $17,874.

The Copley trustees will meet for a special meeting March 13 at 8:30 a.m. to discuss the 2010 appropriation resolution. The next meeting is set for March 17 at 6 p.m. Both meetings will take place at the Copley Township offices, 1540 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road.

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