Progress has been made over the last couple of years to ensure there are ambulances to respond to 911 calls in Warren County.

But issues remain and those challenges continue to be a topic for the Warren County Council of Governments.

“Departments are struggling to get out the door every day,” Rich Barrett said, encouraging elected officials to have an open line of communication with volunteer agencies on “what you can do to help them.”

COG chair Paul Pascuzzi recommended at least once-a-year meetings between departments and elected municipal officials.

“We do know that they are struggling,” Pascuzzi said, speculating that there’s a gap between the level of service municipal leaders might expect and agencies can provide. “That gap needs to be discussed with your volunteers,” he said, pointing out that if the Red Cross is having trouble funding volunteers “your volunteer chief is also struggling, probably worse than they are.”

One option local officials have advocated for a piece of legislation to allow county EMS authorities as another model to address the crisis.

Youngsville Borough Councilman Troy Clawson, who leads the COG’s legislative committee, said that it’s believed the bill will die.

Pascuzzi noted that Forest County tried such an authority model and said it lasted less than a year.

“When they went to do assessments of property owners, the wheels kind of fell off,” he explained. “They were not prepared for the pushback from the taxpayers. We’ve been watching the Forest County model very closely. They had hoped for a lot of success and it did not work out that way. We thought we could wait on Harrisburg and we know that is a mistake,” Clawson said.

He said that unions in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh “don’t like this authority model legislation. Us rural people that might want to utilize it can’t.”

ANF UPDATES

Bradford District Ranger Rich Hatfield said that one stretch of Longhouse Scenic Drive from Route 321 to Kiasutha is “completely done.”

“(There is) still a lot of work left,” he said. “The road right now is currently closed to thru traffic south of Dewdrop through Sept. 9.”

An additional closure – roughly from Elijah to Kiasutha – will take effect from Sept. 10 through Oct. 15, though the road will be open completely for Jakes Rocks Trail Fest.

Hatfield also told the COG that the ANF’s timber sales this year were “pretty successful.”

“The timber market turned around nicely,” he added.