Supervisors to close Winfield Volunteer Fire Department
WINFIELD TWP — Supervisors plan to close down the 30-year-old Winfield Township Volunteer Fire Department.
Adam Hartwig, township secretary, said Monday that Saxonburg, Herman and Buffalo Township volunteer fire departments will cover the township after Aug. 30, when the three Winfield supervisors are expected to adopt an ordinance to appoint the three departments as those covering the township.
According to the township's contract with the Winfield Volunteer Fire Department, supervisors must give the department a 90-day written notice of their intention to choose another entity to provide fire services.
Hartwig said the fire department's board of directors has resisted township recommendations like increasing training, improving business practices, creating standard operating procedures, updating its 1988 bylaws, providing supervisors with monthly call reports and financial reports, and other items.
“It's been an ongoing thing,” Hartwig said.
The supervisors two years ago tasked Hartwig, who is a certified firefighter and emergency medical technician, with trying to “fix” the fire department.
In 2015, the fire department's former treasurer siphoned almost $68,000 from the organization, for which she was arrested and charged.
Jodie Lynn Undercuffler of Jefferson Township acknowledged in court that she took the money “because it was so easy to get away with.” She pleaded guilty to charges of forgery and theft.
Insurance covered the theft and the department got the money back.
Hartwig told the fire department's board that they must improve their business practices by requiring multiple signatures on checks and instituting other safeguards.
Supervisor Matt Klabnik joined the fire department and served as vice president and president. Hartwig has served as president, too, in an attempt to straighten out and raise the professionalism of the department.
The men, said Hartwig, could never get a majority vote when they tried to institute a new policy or procedure.
Hartwig said meanwhile, the supervisors have agreed to pay for hoses, call-supporting software, roof repairs and other items fire department officials requested.
In January, Hartwig drafted a letter to send to the fire department regarding its outdated bylaws, lack of a standard operating procedures process and lack of firefighter training.
He got the support of the state fire commission and county Commissioner Kevin Boozel, who has an emergency management background, on the letter. He also showed it to Steve Bicehouse, county emergency management director.
“Steve Bicehouse looked at it and said 'Hey, we do this at our firehouses. This is easy stuff,'” Hartwig said,
He said the fire department did not follow through on any recommendations.
Fire department officials also failed to pursue an annual grant for $11,000 or $12,000 to get the software they need to upload call reports, which they are required by the state to track.
“It's the same thing over and over again,” Hartwig said.
He said the fire department approached Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Department about a merger, which can be financially advantageous for smaller departments.
Buffalo Township's department declined.When the Buffalo and Winfield fire departments held a sportsman's night to raise funds, Hartwig said the event was heavy on volunteer workers from the Buffalo department and light on Winfield volunteers.“Buffalo does not want to do it again with them,” Hartwig said.He said the township is out of options when it comes to the fire department.“The board and myself have a desire to have a professional, highly trained, highly competent fire department for our residents,” Hartwig said. “We have great service from Saxonburg EMS, and we want the same with fire protection.”Hartwig said he understands that rural fire departments are struggling with ever decreasing memberships and ever increasing training, certification and equipment requirements.“These things we're asking (Winfield Volunteer Fire Department) to do, everyone else already does,” he said. “We want the best for our residents.”Because the Winfield department already had a low insurance rating, homeowners should not see an increase in their fire insurance because of the change.He said if anything, the newer apparatus and equipment of the three surrounding fire companies could help the township's rating.“In a day and age where (firefighter) numbers are down and the state is encouraging mergers, I don't want to be an example of what not to do,” Hartwig said.Regarding the Pierce fire engine, Ford brush truck and older International water tanker at the Winfield department, Hartwig said the other three departments know how they would like to handle the disbursement of assets. However, it could come down to a Butler County judge deciding how the assets should be dispersed.All Winfield firefighters would be welcome to join one of the three surrounding fire departments, but should understand that they must comply with rigorous training requirements if they do so, Hartwig said.He said the department has about 25 members, both active and inactive.“We have excellent men and women who want to protect the community,” Hartwig said. “We would love to see them join the other organizations and continue to serve the community.”The fire department is allocated $8,400 annually by the township, which spends $21,000 per year for the department's state workers' compensation costs.“We will continue to support them to the very end,” Hartwig said, “but we've tried to give them every opportunity to change and improve their professionalism, but it's the same things over and over.”He said he and the supervisors are disappointed.“Nobody wants to do this. You never want to get to this point,” Hartwig said. “But we keep asking for the same things, and we really don't have any other choice.”The supervisors made the move reluctantly and for one reason, Hartwig said.“We have the obligation to provide the best fire protection for our residents and that's what we're doing,” he said.Bicehouse declined to comment on the situation because he is not involved.“I will say there's more demand and less money and personnel (for rural fire departments),” Bicehouse said.Nathan Wulff, president of the Butler County Fire Chief's Association, had not heard of the situation before Monday.“It's unfortunate any time you see a volunteer fire company close,” said Wulff, who is the chief at the Unionville Volunteer Fire Company, “but ultimately it's (the supervisors') responsibility to try something different.”He said Herman, Saxonburg and Buffalo Township are all excellent fire service providers.“I would not think the community would be ill-served by any of those fire departments,” Wulff said. “They are all high quality departments.”Neither the chief of the Winfield Township Volunteer Fire Department, nor the fire department's board president returned calls from the Butler Eagle on Monday.
