Dictator Exposed

We are writing to "thank" Director of Public Safety Fred Harran for confirming the concerns about the SAFER grant and the Bensalem Training Center that Chief Troisi addressed to you more than four years ago. We watched (and laughed) when you said "this is the first I heard of this" when issues with the training center were discussed at the council meeting! I guess you forgot the chief's meetings when Chief Troisi asked you about the location (too close to Street Road, Rt 1 and now the PA Turnpike), the type of construction (unable to burn class A live fires), no sprinkler system, no water system, and no system to generate heat of any kind, no sanitary facilities. Now, at the council meeting you announce that we need to obtain grants for $8,000,000.00 to complete the facility! CHIEF TROISI WAS RIGHT.

When Chief Troisi asked how the township was going to pay for the SAFER grant firefighters when the grant expired you told him not to worry about it. When he asked about a Standard Operating Procedure for the SAFER grant firefighters you told him not to worry about it. When members of the Union Fire Company spoke with councilman Pilieri and councilman Kisselback about their concerns about the ability of the township to fund the program, they assured the firefighters that no funds would be taken from the volunteer fire companies (which are underfunded and have not received any increase in funding from the township in more than ten years) they gave their word that no funds would be taken from the volunteer fire companies to pay for this project. When another fire company asked councilman Szafran about funding the SAFER project he assured them that no funds would be taken from the volunteer fire companies to pay for the SAFER project. A year after the township received the SAFER grant award the Mayor and Director of Public Safety Harran said that they would be taking funds away from the volunteer fire companies to pay for the SAFER grant firefighters. Nothing was ever put in writing, as to the amount they want to take from the volunteer fire companies. The volunteer fire companies are STILL required to provide all the services they provided BEFORE the SAFER grant firefighters were hired. They need to do this with LESS funding! Now, the township had a "study" done that states the firefighters should pool their Relief monies that they receive from the state. This is the ONLY way that the township can take ADDITIONAL funds away from the volunteer firefighters to give to the SAFER grant firefighters. In addition, funds can be provided to one of the volunteer fire companies that has a history of mismanaging it funds BUT blindly follows the Director of Public Safety's propaganda. And…THERE STILL IS NO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR THE PAID FIRE COMPANY and THE FIRE INSPECTORS THAT RESPOND FROM ALL OVER THE TOWNSHIP TO ASSIST THEM! Yet, the Director of Public Safety has the nerve to question volunteer firefighters from the Union Fire Company utilizing blue lights to respond to their station when there is a call for service! When Director of Public Safety Harran publically stated that there was a fire call in Salem Harbour when the Union Fire Company was forced out of service and the Cornwells Fire Company covered the call within the National Standard it was not true. Either Director of Public Safety Harran does not know what the National Standard is (standard; NFPA 1720) or he lied! A chief's vehicle responding within the time period is NOT considered a firefighting vehicle as per the standard!

When Chief Troisi and the members of the Union Fire Company requested to know who accused him of REFUSING TO GIVE WATER to the paid fire company, Director of Public Safety Harran threatened to arrest Chief Troisi. When it was learned that the accusation was completely FALSE, Director of Public Safety Harran refused to let the Union Fire Company see the investigation. When the Union Fire Company persisted so that they could clear the name of Chief Troisi and the Union Fire Company, Director of Public Safety Harran refused to provide the investigative report to the Union Fire Company. Recently, Director of Public Safety Harran changed the complaint to DELAYED GIVING WATER TO THE PAID FIRE COMPANY. Despite independent witnesses from outside fire companies that stated that the Union Fire Company engine arrived on location and provided water to the PAID FIRE ENGINE and only to the PAID FIRE ENGINE and supplied NO OTHER FIRE APPARATUS!

To sum up…Chief Troisi has been attacked, threatened, slandered and ignored by the Director of Public Safety. As a result of the township failing to address the concerns of Chief Troisi the following has occurred:

A training center that was said to be "the best in Pennsylvania" is in fact, not complete, still requires the Bensalem fire companies to travel to County facilities to complete training and will cost an additional $8,000,000.00 to complete! This will bring the total above $13,000,000.00 and it will STILL NOT match the capabilities of the new County facility in Bristol Township! What happens if the township CANNOT obtain the additional $8,000,000.00?! There still is NO FUNDING PLAN for the SAFER grant firefighters! The volunteer fire companies STILL do not know how much money they will have taken from them to pay for this project. With the township admitting to a $6,500,000.00 deficit for 2010 which was filled by the reserve fund, there is NO township plan to address the projected deficit for 2011! Can anyone guess where the additional funds for the SAFER grant firefighters will come from?

Chief Troisi addressed his concerns at the township chief's meetings as he should. Instead of being responded to respectfully, he was attacked, ignored and humiliated. As a result, the fire service in Bensalem is facing financial uncertainly, no leadership and an atmosphere of intimidation and threats of arrest.

Director of Public Safety Harran repeatedly states that we have the "best", we are the "best"…all the public has to do is listen to what he says, watch what he does…and SEE THE RESULTS!

Can you imagine what kind of training facility we would have had if even one of the other fire companies would have had the guts to ask the questions Chief Troisi did?

It reminds us of an old tale where someone convinces everyone that the Emperor had wonderful new clothes! It took one small voice to make everyone see what was right in front of them.


THE EMPEROR HAD NO CLOTHES!