Full-Time Firefighter Hires Tabled In Warminster

WARMINSTER, PA —A resolution to the ongoing dispute between the township and its two fire companies over full-time fire coverage during the day will have to wait a little longer.

At its meeting last week, Warminster Township Supervisors tabled a proposal to authorize the township's administration to proceed with the creation of a Firefighter/Fire Inspector position to staff three new full-time employees.

"This will happen next month," Supervisors Chairman Kenneth Hayes said. "We're fine-tuning the contract with our volunteer fire companies. But this will be another milestone for Warminster Township."

Over the past few years, township officials and its two fire companies —the Warminster Fire Department and the Hartsville Fire Company —have disagreed about why the township does not have daytime fire coverage.

The two fire companies held town hall meetings at the beginning of the year to state their case to residents that fire officials tried to seek funding for full-time firefighters. The fire companies have criticized the township for failing to provide adequate daytime 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.

The firefighter/fire inspector position was listed on the consent agenda for the supervisors' meeting last Thursday.

Township officials hope to have the proposal in place for its June meeting.

In other business, the township changed its supervisor meeting dates with the upcoming Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays.

• The Board of Supervisors has canceled its meeting for May 18.
• The June supervisors' meeting has been moved from June 1 to June 8.
• The July supervisors' meeting has been moved from July 6 to July 13.