West Lebanon Township updates residents on possible fire commission

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.

During its March 2 meeting, the West Lebanon Township Board of Commissioners updated the public on the ongoing discussions about the future of the fire department, which could see a merger or the formation of a commission.

No decision was made at the meeting, and commissioners said there is no timeline for one. The goal is to address the declining manpower that departments across the region are facing.

Commissioner Michelle Testerman said the township was originally looking at combining forces with the Northern Lebanon area to its north, but Northern Lebanon’s forces said they’d like to merge together before looking outside of the region. It could be feasible for West Lebanon to join in the future, she said.

Now, the township is in talks with Annville, North Cornwall, and West Cornwall townships and Cleona and Cornwall boroughs after a fire study recommended the departments consolidate into northern and southern units. Due to the departments’ clubs, they are considering forming a commission rather than a full merger, commissioner Jeffrey Clarke said.

A fire commission would establish joint oversight for the departments involved, while leaving individual departments as their own units.

“No matter which way we go, I think the most important thing that needs to be said is all of the fire companies do a heck of a job, and it doesn’t matter which direction a fire company goes to merge, commission, whatever, it does not take away the mutual aid,” Testerman said. “The mutual aid is there whether we go north, south, east, or west, and that is the important part.”

Commissioners said they’re looking at recent examples coming out of the Warwick area, which saw the smallest municipality — similar in size to West Lebanon Township — paying $33,000 per year toward the commission. The funding would go toward the salaries of commissioners, who would also handle all department paperwork and apply for grants.

Several members of the public asked questions during the meeting. Commissioners had answers about the differences between the options, but said they didn’t know specifics about how much a commission would cost the township.

“We don’t know all the answers yet,” Testerman said. “We just have to continue to go to the meetings, and when we find things out, we can relay them because we’re as much at a loss as a lot of you because we don’t know. We’re just fact-finding right now.”

Clarke said representatives from the municipalities will meet next on March 10, though the meetings are not open to the public.

In other business, commissioners: 

• Announced the Easter Bunny will be going around the township on March 28. There won’t be an egg hunt this year due to a lack of volunteers, they said.
• Approved a resolution establishing a recreation committee, which will be purely advisory.
• Tabled votes approving the fire company’s boxcards and an update to the employee handbook, pending more information.

West Lebanon Township will meet next on April 6 at 7 p.m. at the municipal building at 322 N. 22nd St., Lebanon.