Plans for the merger of Bellegrove and Union Waterworks fire companies are moving forward with the tentative launch of North Annville Fire Department set for Jan. 1.
North Annville Township supervisor Adam D. Wolf discussed the merger with LebTown since the request to combine operations came from the township board.
“The fire companies in the township all signed a memorandum of understanding with the township signing it last in November of last year,” said Wolfe, who serves as the board’s treasurer. “That launched the merger process to streamline operations. Both companies have expressed to the township over the course of time that they have difficulty recruiting and retaining volunteers, so this is one way for them to join their manpower together.”
Wolfe told LebTown via email following the interview that Bellegrove Fire Co has 35 members and its auxiliary stands at 24. Union Waterworks Fire Company and its auxiliary have 19 and 8 members, respectively.
Beyond low recruitment and retention of members, other factors factors also contributed to the merger request.
“Especially in the past four years with inflation and price increases after the COVID pandemic, in almost all cases, everything has doubled in price,” said Wolfe. “The hope is that there can be some identification of possible duplication of equipment between the two companies. One intention of the merger has been to create a new list of equipment as far as a replacement schedule is concerned.”
That list includes what equipment they will keep, equipment to be sunsetted and the anticipated cost of replacement gear once it comes due for replacement, added Wolfe. These two fire companies are the only ones in the township, serving about 2,250 residents.
Before that exercise can be completed, however, officials of the two companies, along with two citizen representatives, must finalize the new bylaws – a process that has been in progress for approximately seven months.
“I think the thing the Merger Committee tackled first was to work on a new set of bylaws and they looked at the (current) bylaws for each company and tried to merge the bylaws into one,” said Wolfe. “Some things about their bylaws were almost identical and where there were differences, they kind of tried to split the difference. Say one company’s bylaws said five of something and the other one said 10 of something, they tried to go with seven or eight of that particular thing to split the difference between the two bylaws and the new set of bylaws.”
A critical component of creating a single entity, the bylaw process has hit a few roadblocks, according to Wolfe.
“What I’ve been able to ascertain is that there are some issues that need to be resolved,” he added.
Wolfe addressed a concern about the pending purchase of a new fire engine that comes with a price tag of $998,000, which may be paid for in full via a state grant through the Department of Community and Economic Development if it is awarded to North Annville Township.
However, the grant application only stated the name of Bellegrove Fire Company, not Union Waterworks.
Wolfe told LebTown that the application required the name of only one company but that he included extensive information about the merger of the two entities into a single unit to boost their application’s ranking.
“We applied in such a way, the way I wrote the application, was that it would serve both companies,” he said. “I explained the process of merging together and the grant reward would be intended for the use of the single company.”
He said the grant process is competitive and he was informed that mentioning the merger would strengthen their application for a state grant. The state, he added, is more willing to support companies that have merged over solo entities.
“That is very much a factor,” said Wolfe. “I was told by Sen. Gebhard’s office that an application for a fire truck for a merger of a fire company would receive a more favorable result.”
More work beyond equipment assessment exists after the new bylaws are approved by the township supervisors.
“It is my understanding that once both companies sign the new bylaws, then there’s paperwork that needs to be filed with the state and approved by the state,” said Wolfe. “They would also need to come up with a company budget and the equipment replacement plan, that I touched on a bit ago, and that would be one of the first things to happen once the bylaws are approved.”
Other future considerations for the new company officers, once they are chosen, is where the new facility will be located. “As far as the housing plans, where to keep and put equipment, those discussions would need to start with the merged company,” he noted.
Wolfe said options exist with both locations potentially being used; with one station being the company’s primary location and the second serving as a satellite site. Neither company currently offers ambulance services, though Bellegrove does have a Quick Response Service unit for emergency calls, according to Wolfe.
But the first and possibly largest step is completion of the bylaws.
A Merger Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday night, June 17, and if remaining concerns can be addressed at that meeting, there is a possibility that the bylaws may be adopted at the next township supervisors meeting July 8, according to Wolfe.
If not at that meeting, then Wolfe said he feels that process should be completed in the next several months, adding it’s not if but when. He clarified that this timeline is his sentiment and he has not discussed with the other two supervisors when they believe the bylaws process will be completed.
“To quote our former chairman, Randy Leisure, who retired at our May meeting, the ultimate goal of the supervisors is to provide the best possible service at the best possible price for township residents,” said Wolfe. “We feel by merging the two together, we will be able to provide them with that better service. And that is a sentiment that’s been expressed by several residents.”
Read More: N. Annville Twp. chairman steps down for health reasons after 10 years of service
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