Fire Public Safety Commitment Addressed By Warminster Officials

WARMINSTER, PA —The township has reacted to its two fire companies holding town hall meetings over the past month explaining their daytime fire coverage.

In a statement posted on its website, Warminster Township officials said they are committed to fire safety and public safety, but that its fire companies haven't worked with them.

"Despite the negative claims from the two volunteer fire companies, who have spent the last two years complaining to the township’s elected officials instead of working together on a solution, Warminster Township remains committed to both public safety and financial stability on behalf of the residents and general public," the statement read.

The Warminster Fire Department and Hartsville Fire Company held three town hall meetings, with the last one Wednesday night, to explain to residents the steps taken to "ensure your safety and what obstacles have prevented a safe resolution to this public safety problem."

Last fall, the Warminster Fire Department blasted township officials, saying they could have used a grant to pay for full-time firefighters to enhance coverage.

The fire department has argued that Warminster received a $1.8 million SAFER grant two years ago to pay for five full-time firefighters for three years but the township never enacted it.

In its statement, township officials said that Interim Township Manager William McCauley drafted a Fire Services Agreement for the township and its two volunteer fire companies in March 2021.

The agreement called for Warminster Township to hire five full-time paid firefighters. The two fire companies rejected this agreement. The township has attached the document to its website.

"Had they approved it, Warminster Township would now have a paid fire department to work with the two volunteer fire companies with a sharing of resources fully funded by Warminster Township," the statement read.

But, due to management turnover and financial concerns related to the Covid-19 pandemic, township officials said they re-evaluated their options.

In 2022, as several municipalities in the Philadelphia suburbs have done, Warminster Township was ready to adopt an ordinance that would provide for municipal tax refunds for men and women who could volunteer for firefighting duty during the work week. This idea was rejected by the two fire companies as insufficient.

The fire department said that in August 2018 it notified the township's Board of Supervisors that the two fire companies could "no longer guarantee a timely response during the day" when available volunteers are at the lowest if a fire were to occur.

"Over four years later, this problem has not been fixed," the departments said in a joint statement. "We need your support."