DELHI TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Last week, the national gas price average jumped to $4.30, according to AAA, the highest since the summer of 2022.
In the Tri-State, drivers are seeing prices near $5.
The increase in fuel costs is affecting drivers across the region, and Monday, WCPO talked to first responders to learn how gas prices are impacting them.
"What we're seeing is that normal run of say $60 is now over $100," Delhi Township Fire Chief Douglas Campbell said.
The Delhi Township Fire Department’s fuel budget was set last fall when the average they were paying for gas was $2.80 per gallon.
WATCH: How the fire chief says fuel prices are impacting the department
"As of April, we’re paying an average of $4 for a gallon of gasoline, and $5.40 for a gallon of diesel," Campbell said.
The department is already operating on a budget deficit of nearly $1 million. Campbell said in the span of one month, fuel costs have gone up 16% for the department, leaving him concerned.
"It's something I've got my eyes on," Campbell said. "A 16%, one jump, in one month, really scares me for the rest of the year, how we’re gonna make ends meet."
The department has a levy on Tuesday's primary election ballot. If passed, it will bring an additional $2.3 million in revenue over four years to help with personnel and operations costs.
Campbell said even if the levy passes, the department will still be in a tough financial situation because of the extra costs that are out of its control.
"We’re probably gonna have to buckle down and find some new ways to adjust, but short of still making responses and emergency calls, there’s not much we can do," Campbell said.
Campbell said even if gas prices go down, the department will likely still have to look for ways to cut down its budget.
But he said cutting down on fuel is not an option.
Campbell said the department uses gas to get to a fire, but also throughout the duration of the fire.
"If (the fire truck is) pumping water, it will run at a high idle, and it will be using more diesel in that instance," Campbell said. "The consumption doesn’t end by just showing up. It does continue all throughout the process."
