Ford City Fire Relief Practices Questioned

by Jonathan Weaver

A Borough fire relief organization is under scrutiny from former elected officials.

Questions recently have been raised of practices of the Ford City Fire Relief Association.

Relief Association Secretary Ted Breuer said the fire relief association is separate from the actual fire department, and receives funding annually from Ford City Borough, Cadogan Borough and part of North Buffalo Township. The eight members are appointed to the association.

“We’re allowed to take that money and invest it, do whatever we want to do with it (in accordance with State guidelines),” Breuer said. “The fireman’s relief association, by law, is allowed to buy safety equipment, pay for accident insurance.
“Usually what the chief does is write us a letter, (asking) us what he needs for that year – we usually allow him to do it one time.

“We pay for health insurance and any safety equipment that’s requested by the fire department (but after) we review it, we’ve actually refused them a few times.”

Breuer, a fifth-generation fireman who responded to more than 5,000 rescue calls, recently received a call from Ford Cliff volunteer firefighters about a local resident questioning the association.

“I feel hurt by that. We’re not hiding anything here,” Breuer said. “In my 50 years, I never saw a stray dollar go out of that relief association without approval. The same with my 36 years as secretary of the fire department – I never saw a dollar bent.”

Former Councilwoman Vicki Schaub identified herself as the curious caller. She said she also contacted the State Auditor General’s office.

Schaub said the Auditor General’s office was not able to confirm investment balances from 2012-2014 or obtain copies of cancelled checks.

“You wouldn’t believe the time I’ve put in trying to get questions answered,” Schaub said.

Breuer accused Schaub of going behind his back and “(getting) a lot of people fired up.”

Former Councilman Jerry Miklos confirmed with Breuer no members are paid, but the spouses of 20-year members will receive death benefits.

Breuer, who has been with the fire department and relief organization since 1965, said one of the major purchases occurred around 2010, when volunteers requested 10 new air packs.

“When I first got into the fire department in 1965, an air pack was $480. Ironically, now it’s $4,800,” Breuer said. “Other than the truck, that’s probably the most-critical thing in the fire department because (firefighters) can die if these things are wrong.”

Volunteer firefighters have also replaced their emergency pagers three times, without Borough reimbursement.

“Three times the relief association has paid for those pagers with the idea that we would be paid back. And we’ve never been paid back, starting in 1978,” Breuer said. “Council owes us about $45,000!”

The eight-member association is audited by the State every 16-18 months

Management guidelines are available online.

“That is our Bible. We don’t deviate from that Bible,” Breuer concluded. “They have a very detailed idea of what we can buy here – from buckets and brooms to brush fires. Everything.”

According to the Ford City fire department website, the Pittsburgh Plate Glass factory supplied the primary fire protection to the residents of Ford City prior to 1900. The P.P. G. fire department consisted of a 13-man brigade highly trained in fire prevention and firefighting techniques.

The fire department boasted over 800 pieces of fire suppression equipment, including hundreds of extinguishers and pull stations located throughout Works Four, Works Six, and Shop Two of the Ford City plant. The company averaged six to twelve small fires a year, which were quickly extinguished with no major disruption to the daily working of the plant.

3 Comments

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  By jd718, November 7, 2016 @ 7:54 AM

  Breuer said. “Council owes us about $45,000!”

  Should mean the Borough owes us about $45,000.00
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  By jorn jensen, November 7, 2016 @ 9:14 AM

  Ted Breuer is a man of the highest integrity. And he has to endure this sort of attack. Ford City at its finest.
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  By MikeFC, November 8, 2016 @ 2:41 AM

  This is beyond messed up. Someone needs to quit trying to be involved and causing trouble.

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