Champion Township to Discuss New EMS Mutual Aid Fees with Neighbors

Trustees plan to meet with Bristol and Warren townships before implementing new charges for providing emergency medical services.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 4:07am

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A moody, atmospheric painting of a solitary fire engine parked on a dimly lit urban street, with warm light and deep shadows creating a pensive, cinematic mood that evokes the challenges facing local emergency services.As fire departments across the region grapple with staffing shortages, Champion Township seeks to renegotiate mutual aid agreements to ensure equitable resource sharing.Warren Today

The Champion Township Trustees in Ohio plan to meet with officials from neighboring Bristol and Warren townships this month to discuss changes to their mutual aid policy for paramedics and emergency medical services. Under the new policy, Champion will begin charging fees to other townships for providing EMS mutual aid, but the township says it will not implement the new rates until after the discussions with its neighbors.

Why it matters

Many fire departments across the country are struggling with staffing shortages, making it difficult to respond to calls outside their own communities. Champion Township officials say the new fee policy is aimed at encouraging neighboring townships to take more responsibility for their own EMS services instead of relying too heavily on Champion's resources.

The details

The new mutual aid policy, which went into effect on April 1, allows Champion to bill the medical insurance of patients it assists, as well as invoice neighboring townships for specific fees. These include a $285 medical assist fee, a $150 EMT assist fee, a $750 transport fee, and a $100 non-transport fee. Champion officials say they made numerous mutual aid calls to Bristol and Warren townships in March, but received very little assistance in return.

  • The new mutual aid policy went into effect on April 1, 2026.
  • Champion Township Trustees plan to meet with officials from Bristol and Warren townships sometime this month to discuss the changes.

The players

Doug Emerine

Trustee Chairman of Champion Township.

Tom Dempsey

Fire Chief of Champion Township.

Rick York

Trustee of Champion Township.

Tom Jeffers

Trustee of Champion Township.

Southingtown Township

A township that has an EMS agreement with Champion Township, paying $40,000 annually for Champion to respond to its EMS calls.

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What they’re saying

“We want to make this work for all our neighbors. We will not start charging those townships the new rates until we hold a meeting. We want to get everyone on the same page of what we are doing and why.”

— Doug Emerine, Trustee Chairman

“They have to understand that we will help them, but they can't always rely on us and need to be taking care of their own communities. We want them to look at what they can do for their own departments so they are not always relying on Champion.”

— Tom Jeffers, Trustee

What’s next

Champion Township officials plan to meet with officials from Bristol and Warren townships sometime this month to discuss the new EMS mutual aid fee policy before implementing the charges.

The takeaway

This case highlights the challenges facing fire departments across the country in maintaining adequate staffing levels, leading some communities to take steps to discourage over-reliance on their resources by neighboring townships. The discussions between Champion, Bristol, and Warren aim to find a balanced approach that serves all communities.