Council authorizes mayor to ask Russell Township for fire/EMS cost and response-time estimates

South Russell Village Council authorized the mayor to send a letter to the Russell Township trustees requesting a price quote for fire and EMS services for calendar years 2026'28 and estimated response times to the village's most distant homes.

Council members said they had received constituent concerns about a projected rise in the village's contract cost with the Chagrin Valley Fire Department; speakers at the meeting said the village's fire/EMS expense could nearly double over a three-year contract period. To gather comparative information without undertaking a formal RFP process, a council member proposed and the council approved a motion that the mayor request from Russell Township trustees: (1) a written quote for providing fire and EMS services for 2026'28 and (2) an estimated response time from Russell's station to the furthest South Russell properties (examples noted were homes on Champion Lane and Daisy Lane).

Supporters of the motion said the request is preliminary due diligence to determine whether comparable service could be obtained at lower cost; some council members and residents also expressed loyalty to the current provider and acknowledged operational similarities in equipment and training costs across departments. The motion passed by voice vote.

The request is informational only and does not commit the village to contract with Russell Township. Council indicated follow-up steps would depend on the township's response and any differences in cost, equipment, staffing or response time.

Why this matters: council said the village faces a substantial cost increase under the current fire/EMS contract and wants to determine whether similar service could be obtained locally at different cost or response-time trade-offs before the next contract decisions.