Times Observer photo by Delaney Chase Conewango Township Board of Supervisors members are pictured at a meeting Monday. The board is taking issue with recent statements made by Warren officials regarding a dispute over bills for EMS services from Warren sent to the township.

CONEWANGO – Officials in Conewango Township are pushing back against a recent statement issued by the City of Warren, accusing city leaders of spreading “false and misleading” information about an ongoing dispute over emergency medical services and related costs.

The city of Warren issued a news release last week, stating that they will take legal action against the township in an attempt to recover $13,500 in unpaid fees for EMS over the past two years.

In a detailed response, township officials said they were compelled to address what they described as “egregious inaccuracies” in the city’s release, arguing that remaining silent would misinform residents in both communities.

According to the release from Conewango Township, the city has refused repeated attempts to resolve the issue through mediation and other facilitated discussions. The release stated that township officials have sought negotiations since fall 2024, including submitting multiple proposals, with the most recent being in November 2025, without receiving a response.

The township said it remains open to working with mediators or even holding a joint public meeting to explain the issue and gather community input.

“If the city really wanted to resolve this matter, it would sit down with us at the bargaining table…,” the statement said, criticizing what it described as “inflammatory” public messaging instead of direct engagement.

Township officials also rejected claims that they are failing to meet obligations for fire and emergency medical services. They pointed to their use of the Starbrick Volunteer Fire Department and EmergyCare as evidence that services are being provided.

The release stated that, at times, those providers are unavailable locally because they are assisting neighboring municipalities, including the city, under mutual aid agreements.

A key disagreement centers on how “mutual aid” is defined under Pennsylvania law.

The township’s response argues the law broadly defines mutual aid as shared assistance among municipalities during emergencies beyond a community’s capacity, and the city has adopted a narrower, self-defined interpretation to justify billing for certain EMS responses.

The township’s release states that the services in question fall within the state’s definition and it should not receive charges.

However, the city’s previous news release states that the EMS responses they are seeking payment for are not considered mutual aid because the city responded to calls due to a low number of service staff in Conewango Township rather than the township’s services being deployed to another call.

In the release, township accuses the city of using “coercion” tactics, including selectively withholding ambulance services and attempting to terminate certain services without following proper procedures.

The township’s release cites specific incidents in 2024 and 2025 in which they allege city emergency units declined or altered responses despite having the capacity to assist. They also pointed to a notice sent by the city in July 2025 that sought to end basic life support services, which the township says was later withdrawn after objections.

Despite the criticism, the township’s release emphasized that they remain willing to work toward a resolution. They urged city leaders to engage in ” robust, transparent and constructive conversations.”

At Monday’s Contewango Township Supervisors meeting, Jeff Zariczny stated that the last time the two groups met to discuss this issue was in September 2025.

“We are committed to resolving this in the best interest of our residents,”said Zariczn