Hartford Common Council met Tuesday evening, September 22.

A Resolution was presented, requesting participation in the Washington County shared services grant program for countywide fire and EMS. 

Hartford City Administrator Steve Volkert told WTKM that from the beginning, the City of Hartford has had a positive outlook on the program.

"The countywide EMS service, we are not the first county to do so in some sort. This would simply be the fact of, we would continue to have everything exactly the same way as it currently is. However, it would become a part of the levy for the county, not the levy for the city."

The City of Hartford has been focused on a 10-year plan to increase staffing and strengthen a hybrid staffing system to address a growing call volume for EMS services within the areas they serve.

Volkert, Hartford Fire and Rescue Chief Tony Burgard and Hartford Mayor Dennis Regan have been working with Washington County representatives, fire chiefs, administrators and mayors. The discussions seem to center around a differential between the needs versus their abilities.

Mayor Regan and Chief Burgard addressed Hartford's Common Council members on September 8, and provided information regarding various versions of the plan which made its way through the Washington County Public Safety Committee and Washington County Board.

The City of Hartford would receive $245,831 under the current version, with automatic increases annually for the duration of the agreement while the Washington County tax would not see an increase.