Manor Township Supervisors approved the purchase of 2,500-feet of fire hose last night for the fire department amid a lengthy debate. The cost was $17,683.
Concerns last night over Manor Township spending emergency services funds on purchases for both the police department and the fire department led to a passionate debate.
The rift began last night when Supervisor Don Palmer made a motion to purchase 2,500-foot of five-inch supply line fire hose for the fire department.
“The fire department came to us and they asked us if we would help them with buying some five-inch supply line fire hose. The lowest bid was $17,683. The highest bid was over $23,000. Talked it over with fire department making sure they needed it. The five-inch they have currently is 25 years old. It is delaminating. Every time they hook up to it, it is popping - blowing holes in it. So I guess they do need it.”
Palmer said the issue was discussed at the budget meeting. Supervisor Paul Rearick confirmed that there was money in the Capital Reserve Fund to purchase it, but said he had reservations about spending it.
“It is a concern. We keep tapping into this Capital Reserve Fund, and we aren’t going to have any. It is for Public Safety, but I have said this before numerous times, even for the stuff for the police department.”
Rearick questioned Fire Chief Chad Evans about the department’s fund-raising activities.
“I said this before and I will say it again - Whenever you start selling roast beef dinners at eleven o’clock and at 11:18 you have a sign on the door that you are sold out, you could be doing more, I feel.”
Evans confirmed that they plan on 400 dinners for each sale. He said there were other activities planned to raise money including a raffle based on the daily lottery number.
Manor Township Resident Larry Cecchi said he felt the fire department should do more fundraising and depend less on taxpayers for their support.
Local resident Larry Cecchi said he felt the fire department was depending too much on the Township for funding.
“You get $10,000, now you’re asking for $17,000. You asked for $3,000 for a new refrigerator. Why not just give them all the money and we will close shop!”
Evans defended the need for the purchase of new hose.
“Hydrants in Manor Township are anywhere from 900 to 1,000 feet, unless you are by the VFW where it’s a quarter-mile. That’s the trouble we had when we had that house fire on Iseman Hill. No one had enough hose because we had to use two or three fire departments to lay enough hose. Now instead of being able to reach that hydrant, you are going to fall short.”
The meeting got quiet after Palmer’s motion to see if there would be a second. Rearick looked at Supervisor Bob Southworth. Finally Southworth broke the silence.
“I second it. Chad, I gotta say, don’t come back for awhile. Understand?” Evans said he appreciated the support of the supervisors.
All supervisors voted in favor of the purchase.
I am glad to see that the Board of Supervisor agreed to this purchase. But, how dare they say that the department is not doing enough fundraising? They hold roast beef dinners, hall rentals for weddings and such, and an annual gun raffle. These people are volunteers, they get zero pay for what they do!
I defy the supervisors to show me another fire department doing more than the fine men and women at Manor Twp VFC to raise their own funds to become less dependent on the township.
After the monies spent on buying additional police cars, and hiring more officers, they should not think twice about helping their fire department.
As far as the comment from Mr. Cechhi, lets see him and all the other residents step up and join the fire department and see what it takes to do what they do.