WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — At Monday’s Fayette County Commissioners’ meeting, Rod List, director of the Fayette County EMS, presented his report for squad activity in the month of April.
He reported 462 squad runs with a year-to-date total of 1,559 runs. Transportation destinations included Adena Fayette, Adena Greenfield, Jamestown, and Nationwide Children’s hospitals, as well as three helicopter transports requested.
List’s report noted less than one-and-a-half minutes to be en-route to a call, with average response time to be six-and-a-half minutes – due to the county being 406 square miles, the close runs are averaged into the long distance county runs. Total average time on scene to assess a patient and load into the ambulance for transportation was approximately 12-and-a-half minutes.
List said that since his last monthly report, a lock was placed on the drug cabinet and a camera was installed to monitor the area at the squad facility.
The Ohio State Office of the Ohio Public Defender’s representative Chase Carter, assistant director of trial services, presented the commissioners with a proposed new contract for public defender services to Fayette County. This updates the current contract which expires July 1, 2024. The new contract will run through June 30, 2025. The cost to the county is projected to be $74,792, to be paid in four equal installments.
Carter said that they utilize standardized methods to determine caseloads, workloads, and compensation for employees and contractors in the multi-county region. This fiscal year contract has a 1.3% increase over last year. The increase is due to the change in the state reimbursement rate, according to his report.
The contract amount is based upon the funding level appropriated by the Ohio Legislature for fiscal year 2025 and an estimated statewide rate of 78% reimbursement of county level indigent defense systems, subject to adjustments in funding levels on a statewide basis. This contract covers felonies, misdemeanors, and juvenile cases.
However, no representation will be provided for a charge of aggravated murder with specifications of aggravating circumstances for an adult or juvenile. Also no Guardian-ad-Litem services are provided. There are also other specified non-representation clauses based upon the Ohio Revised Code laws.
The commissioners will take up consideration of the proposed contract at a future meeting.
