COG acts to back VFDs
Recommends actions for municipalitiesBy STEPHANIE HAMM shamm@timesobserver.com
In a unanimous vote Wednesday evening, the Warren County Intergovernmental Co-Op approved a report of recommendations to assist struggling fire service providers throughout the county.
The recommendations for each municipality covered four main components, including the general acceptance of municipal responsibilities, retention of current members and recruitment of new, locally-based standardized training and public education for local support.
"We will now take these recommendations and start to put together action items," said Fire Services Committee Member Paul Pascuzzi.
Based on the recommendations, it is suggested that each municipality adopt a resolution of support to demonstrate responsibility and commitment to encourage cooperation between the fire services and municipalities.
Pascuzzi emphasized that the resolution does not have to be adopted immediately, but "over the next couple months" to ensure communication and understanding with the fire service providers.
Agreed Warren County Commissioner Terry Hawk, "You need to bring them up to speed on what you've done."
It is also suggested that municipalities conduct at least bi-annual meetings with their fire service providers to gain input regarding municipal support.
In other business, a 2009 report from the Blighted Property Committee summarized the seven properties deemed as blighted by the committee. Throughout the county, Conewango and Mead townships each had two blighted properties while Clarendon Borough had two and Tidioute Borough had one.
"None (of the properties) cost the municipalities a significant amount of money to remove," Pascuzzi said, adding that two of the seven properties were "on the ground. We're making good progress."
"This is one of the successes of this organization," added Warren County Commissioner John Eggleston of the Blighted Property Committee.
Additionally, Allegheny National Forest Bradford District Ranger Tony Scardina and Forest Supervisor Leanne Marten acknowledged several projects being completed with stimulus funding, including road maintenance throughout the forest and the replacement of signs on roads and trails.
The next meeting of the Warren County Intergovernmental Co-Op is 7 p.m. Feb. 3 at the 911 Center on the Rouse Estates.
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mike04
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01-07-10 6:37 PM
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fivealive, some common sense needs to be used in a concolidation of stations. call volume, population, etc. why support stations with low call volume, wich usually translates to low population, while high volume areas get lower funding. amb. to the rouse complex taking 15 min plus are as common as three or four times a day. the same of the tidioute area, they come from titusville. pleasant twp dumps calls 2-3 per day. russell god bless them do it rarely the same with clarendon. its not all of them, but its our lives, and the lives of our childeren. if your concerned check into it with your local dept. it is a public record.
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fivealive
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01-07-10 1:16 PM
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Combining stations won't help. It seems like it would actually make it worse -- take what are already long response times (because volunteers have to get to the stations) and make them longer (those stations are now farther away in many cases). How does that make sense? Your example of the ambulance response to the Rouse...likely the ambulance came out of Yville. Say you now consolidate the stations. How long does that ambulance take, now that Yville has been consolidated to Sugar Grove? Fire departments -- or lack thereof -- are a problem for all rural communitites. Thank you to those who DO volunteer. And those who don't, really need to consider it.
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mike04
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01-07-10 12:48 PM
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paid personel is a option. but what makes more sense is to centralize the vol. stations and combine there assets. it makes little sense to have litterally 100's of thousands of dollars sitting in station maint. utilities and equip. that is not being used. avg fire truck is about 225,000 and a low end amb about 135,000 not to mention there maint. you take the money that is wasted on duplicate equip. and combine these depts funds and personel and then you will possible have something. it shouldn't take 20 min to get an amb. to the rouse complex period.
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ProudCountyResident
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01-07-10 12:10 PM
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The COG has been going over this issue for a year now. They have looked at the current situation, and they have realized that the best way to serve the area is with volunteer fire departments. They have seen the response time information as well as the declining rosters. That is why they are taking the action reported. They are trying to build and support these organizations so as to better serve their constituents.
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fivealive
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01-07-10 11:11 AM
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What's the alternative, Mike04? Paid fire depts? Response time might be shorter (if you put one in each twp) but there is the issue of paying them...
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mike04
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01-07-10 9:26 AM
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any one who doubts me should listen to a scanner. it is scary to here how long it takes to get a fire truck or ambulance on the road to a call. it takes time for units to respond regardless of there location. but adding 10 to 15 min on top of that and you should just send the coroner not a ambulance.
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mike04
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01-07-10 9:21 AM
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the sad truth is that v.f.d.s are slowly dying out. it is in the best interest of the twp. officials and commish. to start to consolidate there services. these depts do no service to there respective supporters when they take 10 min to regularly respond to a ems call. and sometimes that much for a fire call. people just dont vol much anymore, every organization has this problem. but no one dies if you dont go to a lions club meeting. and shame on any twp official who is unaware of there depts. response times. and shame to to dept chiefs who do nothing to rectify these problems. it is about helping people not egos.
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