Pa. Authorities Suspicious of Fire Dept. Grants

April 14--Despite being charged for her alleged role in taking more than $700,000 from a Swoyersville fire department, a woman still serving there as an officer has been involved in applying for state grants.

Carol Gamble, 51, has in recent years applied for two grants totaling $16,939 for equipment for the station, according to applications obtained from the Office of the State Fire Commissioners.

Gamble and her mother, Catherine Drago, 82, were charged in 2008 with taking the money that the Swoyersville Volunteer Hose Co. 1 had obtained through bingo fundraisers.

Borough officials believed the fire station was no longer operational, basing those suspicions on the absence of activity there and the loan of a fire truck to a neighboring fire department. But, three state grant applications reveal the station has been actively seeking grants as a functioning station, and includes a breakdown of calls the station responded to since 2009.

Assistant Fire Chief Frank Hawk recently told The Times Leader that Gamble and Drago, his grandmother, are still officers at the fire station, but said he could not comment on the pending criminal case.

"The remaining members (of the hose company) hold faith that the legal trial will show that no money was taken by any member," Hawk said.

Prosecutors' viewpont

State police allege the two women used their positions as officers with the hose company to pilfer money collected through bingo games the department held during a three-year period.

The mother and daughter were charged in December 2008 after an investigation that began in 2005 with the state Bureau of Charitable Organizations. They are scheduled to stand trial on related charges on July 29.

Their attorneys could not be reached for comment last week. Court records do not indicate the two are prohibited from having contact with the fire department.

According to state grants awarded by the Office of the State Fire Commissioner, for the 2009-10 operating year, Gamble applied for an $8,484 grant to purchase portable radios, pagers and accessories for firefighters. The grant was awarded, according to the application.

The following operating year, 2010-11, Gamble applied for and received an $8,455 grant for the department for the removal and replacement of a gas hot air furnace at the station as well as the purchase of a $4,756 computer system and $700 printer.

This year's application was submitted by Frank J. Hawk and requested $15,000 to install a no-smoke diesel exhaust on the company's fire engine. The engine is being housed at the West Wyoming department, but is still being dispatched to respond to calls in Swoyersville.

A grant totaling $11,661 was awarded.

"All the money (awarded in grants) is used for Swoyersville work to better serve the residents of Swoyersville," Hawk said.

The station is trying to get back up and running, has been responding to emergency calls and hopes to continue to receive support from the residents, he said.

"We're trying to serve the best we can," said Hawk, referring to the eight to 10 remaining members of the station.

There were no applications made for 2008-09.

The applications say the station has 10 active volunteer personnel, and had 25 active volunteers in 2010-11. The previous operating year, the station had 15 members, according to the grant applications.

Family involvement

Gamble and Drago do not live in Swoyersville, but Hawk said his family has been involved with the fire department for some time; he is a third-generation volunteer. Gamble lives in West Pittston, while her mother lives in Forty Fort.

Borough officials last month believed the fire station was closed due to an inability to contact any members and because little or no activity was observed at the station.

Officials also were aware the company's fire truck was being dispatched from a West Wyoming fire station and that the West Wyoming fire station's broken-down truck was being stored in the Swoyersville Volunteer Hose Co. 1's garage.

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