PA Fire Company Reinstated on Probationary Basis

Gill Hall Volunteer Fire Company in Jefferson Hills was reinstated on a probation basis as a certified borough company after being idle for more than a year.

Council voted 5-2 in January 2019, with members Vickie Ielase and Mary Reynolds dissenting, to drop the department as a recognized company, meaning it was cut off from municipal funds and no longer received dispatches from Allegheny County Emergency Services.

Elected leaders at the time cited flagging membership and a decline in quality of service for the move.

Those in favor were Tracey Khalil, David Montgomery, Francis Sockman, former Vice President Jay Weber and former President Chris King.

Khalil, Weber, King and Mary Reynolds are no longer on council.

New members include Reynolds’ son, Keith Reynolds, Nicole Ruscitto, President Karen Bucy and Melissa Steffey, who was appointed after King resigned in early December.

Council voted 4-3 at a special virtual meeting Monday night to recertify Gill Hall for one year provided all fire companies get audited and seek mediation. Reynolds, Ruscitto, Ielase and President Karen Bucy voted in favor.

Jefferson 885 and Floreffe volunteer companies responded to all calls in Gill Hall’s absence. The two are in the process of becoming one, Jefferson Hills Fire Rescue.

“I am excited to see Gill Hall be able to be recertified, be recognized as a fire hall again,” said Reynolds, sitting by a fire extinguisher with Save Gill Hall VFC written in white letters. “Those residents deserve the fire protection that our council took away from them. I’m glad that we fixed an injustice here. Moving forward, I want to see everyone be treated equal.”

Reynolds noted the Gill Hall section of the borough provides Jefferson Hills with more than half of its annual local real estate tax revenue.

Montgomery lobbied for a six-month probation with an additional six-month option for Gill Hall provided the company showed effort in complying with the conditions. Steffey wanted an audit and mediation done before recertification.

“I can’t make decisions on a wing and a prayer,” she said.

Steffey also noted she had not received a roster, nor answers to multiple questions directed to the company.

Fire Chief Calvin Felix said that information was provided to the borough, and the fire company would offer a letter to council agreeing to its probationary conditions.

“We thought there would be some guidelines and stipulations,” Felix said. “If that’s what it takes for us to open back up, we’ll do what we’ve got to do.”

It may take about 30 days before Gill Hall firefighters would be ready to respond to fires.

Felix said they need to address workmen’s compensation and vehicle insurance with the borough, as well as test equipment and ensure its three trucks are ready for service. Routine maintenance has not been done since the decertification.

The 72-year-old, 14-member department was not dissolved by the decertification vote and still maintains ownership of its fire hall, truck and other equipment.

The department was poised to consolidate with Jefferson 885 and Floreffe volunteer fire companies but pulled out of the merger process after nearly a year of discussions because of what Felix called a lack of transparency on the part of the other departments.

The chief said Monday it wanted to maintain its independence and equipment rather than become one big borough company.

Gill Hall VFC is now eligible for a portion of the borough’s fire tax revenue. How much has yet to be determined.

The borough budgeted $442,800 for fire protection this year.

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