Public safety concerns continue in Warren Township, as leaders make pivotal changes to the fire department. 

The changes involve firefighter hours and regulations some believe could put the community at risk. The public took their concerns to Tuesday's trustees meeting.  Now, township leaders promise to loosen the rules if it means better coverage in the department. 

While the weekly hour limit for Warren Township Fire Department employees recently increased from 32 to 38, people who call Warren Township home are frustrated staff are no longer permitted to come back for volunteer calls in an emergency.

The fire department is currently staffed 79% of the time. "Why is the coverage at 79% compared to most of this year remaining at 99%," asked Matthew Griggs of Bishop Road. "Are we going to expect that number to continue to decrease? Should we hire more people to accommodate that need?"

"It's more than likely coverage will weaken," said Fire Chief Joe Natali. "I only have a limited amount of people who can work right now because some workers got other jobs."

"My husband's life is at stake and my house is at stake if it starts to burn down," said Kathy Keller of Eagle Creek Road. "So, I don't think it's even feasible to live in the township anymore."

"If you do the math and it goes over so many hours then you have to pay benefits and put them on full time," explained Ed Anthony, Chairman of the Warren Twp. Trustees. "Which our current expenditures won't be able to provide that."

Chief Natali said people are quitting the department amid the changes trustees signed off on last month. Several residents are frustrated response times are weakening.

"That means that a lot of the time we do not have a crew on duty," explained Julie Knowlton, Captain of the Warren Twp. Fire Dept. "If we're not allowed to come back as EMS, then we would have to wait for Champion, Lordstown or Newton Falls to come in."

The department is requesting the trustees tweak the new language, to allow staff to respond to an emergency as long as they don't work past those 38 hours.

"We had the coverage before the hours were cut," Knowlton said. "If other departments are out on their calls, they would have to bounce it to the next department. It can be a delay, let alone their travel time, just trying to find an ambulance to help in an emergency."

"We're going to try to go around and try to set something up whether it's hourly or paying overtime," Anthony explained. "We are going to get with our attorney and we're going to sit down and see if there's a way to get their additional hours up to 38."

Anthony told 21 News the township increased the fire department's wages three times in the last 14 months. "It's getting to the point where your volunteer fire departments could be a thing of the past. If we created a full-time fire department, we would have to pass an 18-20 mill levy. We're already taxing our residents enough," Anthony added. 

Residents left the meeting concerned trustees won't turn their promises into reality, but say time will tell. The fire dept. also proposed creating a committee to establish solutions that provide better service to Warren Twp. residents. 

Back in June, the department filed a federal lawsuit against Warren Township and its trustees, claiming the township failed to pay the correct wages and overtime pay.