Jan. 10--Bill Schenk, chairman of York Area United Fire and Rescue, said Monday that Manchester Township's request to merge its fire services with YAUFR "is really just a matter of working out the details."
The township's board of supervisors voted to go forward with the request after more than a year of considering if its Department of Fire Services should formally align with York Area United Fire and Rescue.
Tim James, township manager, said Monday the next step would be to enter formal negotiations with YAUFR to determine if the merger is feasible and what issues need to be addressed to make the merger happen.
Page said he expects "an extended period of negotiations" to take about the same amount of time that led to the creation of YAUFR from the fire departments of Spring Garden and Springettsbury townships. Those townships merged fire departments in May 2008 after discussions proposing the redistricting began back in 2003.
Page said negotiations would include predicted costs to the township and how to merge the different unions involved.
Schenk said negotiations should go smoothly and "a lot faster." He said the merger between the fire departments of Spring Garden and Springettsbury townships created a blueprint for future mergers.
"All the groundwork is laid," he said. "The charter agreement already exists."
Schenk said the merger would give YAUFR and Manchester Township "a greater pool" of trained firefighters" that "works out to everybody's advantage," predictable "long-term costs" and "a reduced budget."
"That's been the history with the merger between Spring Garden and Springettsbury," he said. "I would expect that to continue with Manchester Township as a member."
Page said there is no intent to close the township fire department or cut the number of firefighters. He also predicted there will be cost benefits to the township and YAUFR in the long term.
He said the township already has shown financial benefits with its arrangement contracting YAUFR Chief Robert McCoy as chief for Manchester Township DFS. Schenk said that contract was renewed in December.
Other county fire department agreements include the following: North York contracting fire services from York city; Hanover and Penn Township fire departments sharing the services of a fire chief; and Lewisberry Borough contracting fire services from Fairview Township.
Correction
This story originally contained incorrect information. Tim James' name was incorrect.
Also of interest
--York County emergency services agencies were early responders to call for cooperation
Copyright 2012 - York Daily Record, Pa.
