Township Officials Interested In Starting Commission To Save Relationship With Newtown Fire Association

The Newtown Township Board of Supervisors and official heard commentary from both local residents and Newtown Fire Association members Wednesday evening in regards to Township Manager Kurt Ferguson’s recommendation to sever the relationship between the volunteer firefighters and the municipality in a recent budget proposal.

The recommendation, which was previously covered by NewtownPANow.com, was shot down by residents this week as simply a “personality conflict” between Ferguson and fire association members and not as a suggested way to cut budgetary costs.

Newtown Fire Association President Will Fabian, who is against the recommendations, spoke highly of the association, which has been run completely by volunteers for 127 years and provides fire service to both the township and the borough 24/7 at a limited cost mostly paid for by government grants and fire association fund raising efforts. Fabian noted that the township pays “a mere $170,000” for fire association coverage, but instead spends close to $1 million annually to support its own paid, eight person firefighter team, which only covers the township’s fire needs for 60 hours a week. He noted that $869,768 of the paid fire department’s budget went to salaries.

Both Ferguson and Fabian noted in their addresses that they’ve reached out to one another repeatedly over the last several years to work together without much success.

“Within [my] first meeting, I was told by the NFA that they didn’t really have to listen to the township and they weren’t going to report to Chief Forsyth,” said Ferguson, who was brought on four years ago by the township. “We began having conversations for several years that included items about response times, volunteers, regional partners, equipment evaluations, and equipment purchases, and fundraising, and franklyon all of these topics there has been resistance.”

Fabian maintained throughout the evening that the fire association “will continue to be open to new ideas, joint collaboration, and changes made in the best interest of the residents of Newtown”.

Supervisor Ryan Gallagher noted that he was impressed by Ferguson’s initiative and trying to cut costs for the township. “There he goes again, ” he said. “When we brought him on four years ago, from day one, he’s showed he’s creative.”

However, Gallagher, noted that the reason didn’t exist to cut ties with what was already in place in regards to fire service in the township. “At some point, you have to ask, can the system already in place continue to work? I believe we should continue to use the NFA.”

Gallagher, as well as other responding officials, recommended beginning a commission, without the township manager, but including township, borough, and fire association officials to discuss the issues laid out and come to an agreement. Gallagher noted, however, that there was no rush on an agreement, since the current contract with the fire association doesn’t end until December 31, 2017.