Pa. Firefighters Discuss Future of Shut Down Dept.
Source Standard-Speaker, Hazleton, Pa.
Feb. 07--Monday is the deadline for Citizens Fire Company of Brandonville to turn over company records to the East Union Township Board of Supervisors.
The supervisors ordered the volunteer fire company to shut down, at least temporarily, in late January due to a dwindling roster of certified firefighters. Township officials also discontinued funding the company about three years ago.
Last week, company officials met with the supervisors and a panel of county and fire service officials to discuss the future of the company. Anthony Kankowski, chief of the Brandonville company, said he came away from last week's meeting with a list of company records that he must turn over to supervisors within 14 days.
The 14-day deadline ends Monday.
Records on the list include incident response reports, names of company officers, officers of the company social club, which operates a tavern inside the fire house; firefighting certifications held by each member, bylaws, minutes from company meetings, proof of insurance, financial records and other documents.
At Wednesday's regular meeting of the board, seating in the municipal building was filled with members of Citizens Fire Company, but little was said about the company's future.
In response to a question by member Robert Hahn of Ringtown about what the fire company's members can expect after the Monday deadline, township solicitor Donald Karpovich said, "The township is going to review (the company records). Should the township take any action that would be adverse to the fire company, the township will schedule a public hearing."
Kankowski, who has served as chief of the Brandonville company for about 25 years, said there are about 17 active members of the fire company, but not every member has up-to-date firefighting certifications.
In addition to few currently certified members, supervisor Dennis Antonelli said there are few active members who live within the village of Brandonville. Antonelli said he has no objection to certified firefighters from other municipalities joining the Brandonville company, but those out-of-town members are covered by the township workman's compensation insurance while en route from their home to incidents in Brandonville. Antonelli said the liability on township insurance is too great to cover a host of out-of-town firefighters where there is a second, fully-staffed and fully-certified fire company in the Sheppton section of the township.
Kyle Mummey, chief of the Sheppton-Oneida Fire Company, which is located about four miles north of the Citizens company, said the Citizens' possible dissolution is entirely between the board of supervisors and Citizens Fire Company.
"This has nothing to do with us," Mummey said.
Bob Gabardi, president of the Sheppton-Oneida company, said Citizens Fire Company members who are willing to complete essentials and firefighting certification courses and the emergency vehicle operators course are welcome to join the Sheppton company if the Brandonville company is dissolved.
Copyright 2013 - Standard-Speaker, Hazleton, Pa.
