Paoli Fire Company Archives - Page 5 of 5

Paoli Fire Company

Three years ago, was a very busy time for me. It was Tredyffrin 300 preparation; Judy DiFilippo and I co-chaired that very memorable celebration that honored our history’s past. In addition to the special planned events, there was a historic documentary, (Tredyffrin Township. . . the First 300 Years; Judy and I are talking about the possibility of a future township-wide showing, maybe this summer in Wilson Farm Park) and we also created a calendar to mark Tredyffrin’s milestone, which featured historic places and special people that make our community the wonderful place that it is! Those calendar photos were later framed and hang in the front lobby of the township building. For many of you who visit the township building, you probably walk right by those photos and may not even notice. However, when I look at those photos I remember the day they were taken and all that went in to making each photo unique and special.

There has been much discussion in the last few weeks about the Fire Companies, the budget cuts and the appeal to restore the proposed budget reductions. I was taken back to a summer day 3+ years ago, when I arranged to have Berwyn, Paoli and Radnor volunteer fire fighters all gather at the Strafford Train Station. The Radnor Fire Company graciously agreed to bring their fantastic historic fire truck for the occasion. This day for the volunteer fire companies, like so many of the other groups who gathered for their calendar photos, was a time for community goodwill and fellowship. Today, I spent some time locating that wonderful photo in my files and thought it was timely and appropriate to include — many of you purchased the calendar, but there could be some new Fire Company volunteers and community members who do not remember the photo or that never saw it. See if you recognize any familiar faces.

Attached is a jpg of the Berwyn-Paoli-Radnor Fire Company photo, feel free to share it. (Rena Ferris was the Tredyffrin 300 calendar photographer).

Berwyn-Paoli-Radnor Fire Company volunteers at historic Strafford Train Station

Resident's Letter Supports Reinstatement of Fire Company's Proposed Budget Cut

December 5, 2009

Comments

The following letter of support to reinstate the proposed budget cut to the fire companies appeared in this week’s Main Line Suburban newspaper. Although Kathleen Keohane of Malvern speaks of the proposed $3.5 million reduction in overall township spending, it is the Fire Department that receives her major attention. Kathleen offers her explanation of what this decrease in township conributions will mean to Berwyn, Radnor and Paoli Fire Departments.

Support volunteer firefighters

To the Editor:

I hope Tredyffrin residents are paying close attention. On Nov. 30 the Board of Supervisors voted 4-2 to pass the 2010 preliminary budget. It features a whopping $3.8-million reduction in spending, almost 15 percent below last year’s operating budget. And it does so in the name of holding the line on property taxes – even as transfer-tax revenues continue to decline.

But in my view this lean budget comes at a significant cost to our community’s safety and vital services, especially in terms of our fire departments. Berwyn and Paoli fire companies are manned mostly by volunteers, and adequate funding has been an ongoing struggle for them. In fact, until 2007, Tredyffrin provided no capital contribution for the replacement of costly equipment. It was all the responsibility of the fire companies themselves.

Next year our local tax dollars will provide less than $300,000 toward the $2-million-plus operating expenses of the Berwyn and Paoli fire companies. Easttown and Willistown’s combined contributions to B.F.D. and P.F.D. will account for about half that amount.

That leaves a huge funding gap to be filled by insurance reimbursements and fund-raising. And it doesn’t even begin to cover the huge capital costs our fire departments incur in order to purchase major pieces of equipment. For example the replacement cost of an ambulance is about $150,000, a fire engine $500,000 and a new ladder truck over $1 million. And Berwyn Fire Company is in need of all of these in the next two years.

These are staggering costs for volunteer fire departments to manage. Yet we expect them to save lives and protect property with this minimal level of taxpayer support. And commit more time for training and spend more time fund-raising than ever before.

Is it any wonder that the number of people willing to volunteer as firefighters has declined greatly in recent years? Have taxpayers really considered the real cost of maintaining a full-time firefighting/EMS staff in Tredyffrin? It has been estimated at $7-12 million – and that’s annually.

So when Tredyffrin makes across-the-board cuts in tough times, our already underfunded fire departments really suffer. They need more support, not less – from the township as well as individuals and businesses that benefit from their services.

Notably both Easttown and Willistown have decided not to reduce their funding for fire and ambulance services in 2010.

So please step up. Get the facts on Tredyffrin’s proposed budget cuts and funding levels for public safety. Call your supervisors and let them know you want to see the fire companies’ funding restored to the 2010 budget. And please get out your checkbook and contribute to the most worthy of organizations – your local fire companies.

Your life may depend on it. Just ask the disabled woman rescued from her burning Chesterbrook home on Thanksgiving afternoon. Tredyffrin police, fire and rescue responded in a matter of minutes and saved her life and her property.

Kathleen E. Keohane, Malvern

Fire Companies are Working on Financial Statements

December 4, 2009

Comments

I have received word from the Fire Companies that they are working on individual statements and financials that will be easy for the public to understand. It’s important to understand the effect that the 5% budget cut (in addition to the 9-10% budget cut from the State) will have on their organizations for 2010. The next Board of Supervisor Meeting is this Monday, December 7, 7:30 PM at the Township Building. Let’s see if we can get a better understanding of Berwyn, Paoli and Radnor Fire Company budgets prior to the meeting. As soon as I receive information or links from the individual Fire Companies I will post it on this site.

Budget Cuts . . . Difficult Decisions, Particularly the Berwyn, Paoli & Radnor Fire Company

December 3, 2009

12 Comments

I am concerned about how the Board of Supervisors will ultimately make the difficult decisions required for this 2010 budget. I have received numerous phone calls and emails from people all weighing on in what they think is fair; or in some cases, stating what they think is unfair about the proposed budget. There has been an overwhelming level of support for the reinstatement of the Fire Company’s 5% cut in the township budget. The specific dollar amount to be cut in the 2010 proposed budget to the individual fire companies is as follows:

Radnor: $1,160
Paoli: $6,077
Berwyn: $14,073

There has been much discussion about the fact that the proposed township budget only cuts the fire company contribution by 5% versus higher percentage budget cuts proposed in other areas, such as library, township staff, police, etc. It needs to be said that unlike paid personnel, the fire companies are staffed almost exclusively by volunteers, whether it is the firefighters, local professionals who donate their professional services pro bono, etc. We need to understand the value of these volunteer services. The real cost to maintain full-time fire and emergency services in Tredyffrin is estimated to be $7-12 million per year. Interesting on the Main Line Surburban site, there is an online poll where you are asked whether you think that the fire companies should be tax-supported; 85% of the voters said yes. The community can’t help but make this an emotional discussion. We have young men and women putting their lives on the line for this community, and at what price? Is it possible to look at this subject without emotion (and without using the fireworks remaining in the budget argument, which I am guilty of) and I think we can try.

I would like to make a suggestion to the 3 fire companies which might help the public better understand. If they can email me a copy of their 2010 budgets with line item expenditures and revenue sources (or direct me to a link) I would be happy to post the information on this site. If possible, it would be interesting if each fire company could provide a statement as to what this proposed reduction will mean to their specific operations. In other words, if the 5% cut is not reinstated in the township budget, specifically what changes will be required of each fire company. We believe that the state is cutting their fire company contributions by an additional 9-10%, please include that reduction in your statement for what this means to the overall operation of the Fire Department. If this information is provided to me at pattye@greatvalleyhouse.com , I am willing to post it. A statement from Radnor, Berwyn and Paoli Fire Companies will help make this a financial argument (rather than an emotional argument) for the reinstatement of the proposed budget cuts. So, if the fire company representatives are reading this blog, I look forward to hearing from you. There is another Board of Supervisor Meeting scheduled for Monday, December 7 — let’s get this information out there before then.

In an attempt to be fair, others in the community are equally concerned about the proposed budget cuts for the library – layoff of staff, shortening of hours, decrease of services. How do you feel about the library situation? I for one, do not feel that closing Paoli Library for a day during the week but opening it on Sundays afternoon does anything to improve the situation. The Paoli Library has never been open on Sundays so doesn’t that create a set-up for possible decrease (rather than increase) of demand with this option? Why not shorten the hours of operation during the week -maybe delay the opening an hour or closing an hour early? With either of those scenerios, you save the library 5 hours which is equivalent to what you gain by opening on Sundays. To me this makes a whole lot more sense. People are used to the Paoli Library being opened Monday-Saturday and closed on Sundays. A shortened day is easier to adjust to than closure all day (particularly if the net budget gain is the same). I’d love to hear from some of the Library Board members about your thoughts on the proposed budget cuts. Either comment directly here, or if you prefer to write a formal statement, email it to me and I would be happy to post it. How will the Library make some of these difficult decisions required by the proposed budget cuts?

Our Fire Companies — No Reinstatement of Their Budget Cut!

November 30, 2009

8 Comments

Tonight’s Board of Supervisor meeting tested my faith in our local government. The audience witnessed our supervisors heap accolades on our firefighters, praise their saving of a handicapped, wheel-chair bound resident in Chesterbrook on Thanksgiving Day, and then watched as the firehouse representatives groveled to have their 5% Tredyffrin Township 2010 budget cut reinstituted. How is it possible that in one meeting, our supervisors can extol the virtues of our volunteer firefighters and their life-risking efforts and at the same time (some of the supervisors) can vote to take away township support? And yes, the supervisors can vote to leave the annual fireworks in the budget (I think that budget line item was $20K). I am all about the 4th of July and fireworks, but does this seem an equitable trade?

Let’s remember tonight’s meeting when some of these individuals take to the campaign trail and speak of their emergency services support.

As for the BAWG report and the St. Davids Golf Club’s $50K cash offer — I think I better sleep on it before I write how I feel about that part of tonight’s experience. I have to remind myself that I will take the higher road and not follow the example of other’s bad manners.

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Pattye Benson

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