Pocono News Section

Eldred Township to Change Fire Service

Eldred Township to Change Fire Service - Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at 5:10PM EST

Eldred Township, Lycoming County-
Big changes are coming to fire and medical response in one part of Lycoming County.

Eldred Township supervisors say they’re looking for coverage from departments outside the township.

The Eldred Township Volunteer Fire Company has been around for nearly 60 years. It’s got about 40 active members.

But supervisors say, lately, they haven’t been able to provide adequate fire and ambulance protection to the township’s 2,100 plus residents.

Nancy Bloom, of Warrensville, said, “If they are working during the day and we have a fire, we need help from somebody else.”

So the supervisors are looking outside the township, to fire departments in Loyalsock and Montoursville, for help. Those companies, while also volunteers, have paid ambulance services.

Pete Gstalder, of Warrensville, noted, “It came as kind of a shock. I didn’t realize they were even talking about that.”

We’re told the supervisors will no longer pay worker’s compensation insurance for the Eldred Township Fire Company. That means the firefighters won’t be able to respond to emergencies in the township.

People here say they know the fire department needs help, but they worry about how response times will be affected by contracting with companies several miles away.

Gstalder explained, “You just never know what might happen. A house fire or something they can get to pretty quickly. You got a lot of people burning wood and stuff like that, so you might have problems there if something like that happens.”

Bloom added, “We have mountains, we have hills. We have lots of houses in the mountains and we need to get there as quickly as we can.”

If agreements are reached with Loyalsock and Montoursville, the Lycoming County 911 Center will have to map out the township for the new companies.

The fire company says it is financially sound. Some firefighters believe personal differences are behind the township’s decision to seek out other service.

We’re told the Eldred Township Volunteer Fire Company will continue providing coverage to nearby Upper Fairfield and Gamble Townships.