NEWCOMERSTOWN (Tusco TV) - Village officials are asking the town’s nonprofit fire protection provider to make some changes while they wait to see how a state investigation plays out.

Mayor Pat Cadle says the Newcomerstown Emergency Rescue Squad has served the town faithfully for over 20 years but he says some issues have come to light that need to be addressed moving forward. 

"There’s some inherent problems that I can’t tell you about yet. There’s an investigation going on by the state at this point in time that we’re just waiting to see what happens with it," he says. 

One of the problems relates to the five-year contract the village signed with NERS in 2016. Cadle says the organization was without a board of directors at that time, so the agreement isn’t legally valid. 

A new governing board was recently put into place, and NERS President Heather Stein-Wells introduced its members during Monday night's council meeting. She says they're also working to start a student cadet program along with a volunteer-based fundraising auxiliary. 

"They can come to Bingo. They can help with our fundraisers and do that kind of thing, that way when we go on calls, we’re not so stressed knowing that we need to get back and things of that nature," she says.

Cadle says they’re pleased with the progress NERS has been making.

"At this point, we’re happy with the way things are going. She had a great report tonight or things that they’re restructuring to make it better, and that’s all we want. We want all our organizations to be able to help themselves as well as help our community, and sometimes you gotta go through some growing pains to fix it," he says.

Cadle says they’re hoping to negotiate a new contract once the investigation is completed. The squad continues responding to calls in the meantime. They fought two fires in the village Tuesday.  

TUSCO TV