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Lake Twp. chiefs say
Dispatch service has issues By Larry Limpf News Editor news@presspublications.com
Thrills at the Toledo Air Show
Top left, the US Air Force Thunderbirds F-16s are flying high at the Toledo Air Show, which returned after a 10-year absence. Bottom left, a paratrooper makes a colorful jump. Top right, lead solo pilot Captain Nicholas Eberling. Bottom right, getting a closer look at the cockpit. (Press photos by Harold Hamilton/HEHphotos.smugmug.com)
Money available for bad septic systems A new grant program, funded by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, is available for a limited time to Lucas County residents who need to replace a failed home sewage treatment system, which can spread bacteria and nutrients into rivers and lakes. On Jan. 1, 2015, the state passed a law with new sewage treatment regulations, Jerry Bingham, supervisor of environmental health at the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, said to Oregon Council earlier this month. “Within those laws, we had to develop an operation and maintenance program. An operation and maintenance program basically helps people maintain their septic systems so they can last for many years.” The county is assessing septic systems to determine their type, age, condition, and location, he said. “There are no fees or upgrades required at this time. We’re just simply going out there to look at the systems and perhaps educate the homeowners. We want to decrease the possibility of system failure, ensure that all systems within Lucas County are operating properly, and then allocate grant money to help people who may
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It reminds me of the way we're approaching agriculture in the lake — with voluntary efforts.
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By Kelly J. Kaczala Press News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com
have failing systems,” he said. The health department also wants to match up with older septic records on file. “We’re mass mailing letters to homeowners who own septic systems. Basically, the letters state we’ll be out in their neighborhoods, and we’re looking at septic systems, and that they shouldn’t be surprised we’re out there. Also, it’s to encourage people to make an appointment. We feel that the assessment goes much better when people make an appointment and that they are there with us. That way, we can show them what we’re looking for and perhaps help
them understand what they have. However, homeowners do not need to be present if they don’t want to be,” said Bingham. Not mandated He said sanitarians taking the assessments must have identification with them at all times that show they are with the Lucas County Health Department. “Unfortunately, at the health department, we don’t always have identification on the vehicle. But they should be properly dressed and should have IDs. They’ll go up to the door and explain why we’re there.” Assessments, he added, take up to 30 minutes or less. “It won’t take very long. If nobody is home, we leave a brochure and a door hanger that requests an assessment be done and that they call the health department. If people don’t want us to do the assessment, we leave. We’ve had quite a few people say `we don’t want you to do the assessment,’” he said. “We’ve had a lot of people who just don’t want us on their property, don’t want anything to do with us. I don’t know if they think we’re going to make them do something. We’re not going to make you do anything.” During the assessment, if there are any
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At the invitation of Lake Township Police Chief Mark Hummer, several new dispatchers from the Wood County Sheriff’s Department were in the township last Thursday for an informal session to orient themselves with the area. The township board of trustees has also instructed Chief Hummer to invite a representative of the sheriff’s department to the next board meeting to discuss on-going problems with the 9-1-1 system since the township last year began contracting with the sheriff’s office for the emergency service. Problems with the service – technical and otherwise – have been felt by the township’s fire department as well, according to Fire Chief Bruce Moritz, who met July 11 with the sheriff’s command staff in Bowling Green. “We need to get these problems resolved before somebody gets hurt,” Chief Hummer said. “We’re willing to work with them. Some of these things could be solved by the dispatchers asking a few simple questions.” He said apparent problems with the computerized mapping system used by the dispatchers have led to township police being dispatched a few times for burglaries on Bradner Road south of Route 6, which is miles out of the township. On July 16, township paramedics were dispatched to the Travel Center of America, Libbey Road, on a report of an unresponsive man in the bathroom. When the man became unruly, dispatching problems forced the medics to call several times for police assistance. Connection problems with the Computer Aided Dispatching equipment – both in the township’s police office and in mobile units – have become more frequent, preventing personnel from accessing reports, Chief Hummer said. Moritz and Hummer both say they think county dispatchers are overwhelmed at times and the county call center is un-
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