Episode 10 of Everybody Hates Freddie: Threats, Lies and Oversight Boards

THIS WAS PUT ON MY DOORSTEP, AND WHEN I READ IT, I HAD TO POST.


We are a group of township firefighters. Our years of service range from less than five years to over thirty years. We have been trying to make sense of the confusing information and lack of direction from township officials. Here are a few things we have learned.

1. The $5,000,000.00 training center is still not finished. It does NOT meet the needs of the fire service in Bensalem Township. There is no live fire training capabilities at the center. There is not even a cold smoke generating system in the building. There are STILL NO toilet facilities or classrooms. The costs to install a propane system (which is not the same as a class A live fire facility) will exceed $1,000,000.00 per floor.

2. County fire officials have attempted on numerous occasions to attend a township Fire Chief meeting to explain the capabilities of the new Lower Bucks Training Center which does meet all of our training requirements. The head of the association (a member of the Nottingham Fire Company) made numerous excuses for not permitting the county officials to attend.

3. No one, not even members of the Advisory Board established by the Director of Public Safety and the Mayor have a clue as to why the Union Fire Company was shut down!! When pressed, the Director of Public Safety REFUSES to answer questions. The Mayor refers everyone to the Advisory Committee. The Director of Public Safety and the Mayor REFUSE to provide any reasons to the Advisory Committee. We have seen this "refuse to answer, pass it on and hope it dies" attitude from the Director of Public Safety and the Mayor in the past. This time IT IS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE!! At the very least we would have thought that the council for Bensalem Township would have asked questions. When we approached several council members, we were told; "they don't tell us anything that is going on". What is the point of the council if it does not at the least act as a check and balance system for our local government??

4. At the last council meeting. Our fire companies were requested to attend the meeting by the township Battalion Chief at the request of the Director of Public Safety. One of our fire companies was told that the Union Fire Company was filing a complaint against our company at the council meeting (this was not true).

5. We interviewed the leaders of our fire companies to hopefully find out why the Union Fire Company was shut down. We learned that at the meeting our leaders had with the Director of Public Safety he NEVER showed them any information as to why Union Fire Company was being shut down. In fact, one fire company official stated that THEY WERE AFRAID to ask any questions or come to the aid of the Union Fire Company because the Director of Public Safety implied; "your company will be next". The leaders of another fire company stated THEY WERE AFRAID to speak out because they saw what happened to Union Fire Company when they expressed concerns about the township training center. The leaders of another township fire company CONTINUE TO PROVIDE FALSE INFORMATION to their members (two of their leaders are employed in the Township Fire Marshal's Office and another one is politically connected). Another fire company's leadership is DIRECTLY responsible for the poor location choice and very limited capabilities of the township training center. They REFUSE to provide any information to their membership. As far as our group is concerned, the atmosphere of threats and intimidation coming from the township officials and the lack of answers to any of our questions is the MOST EXTREME anyone has ever seen.

6. There STILL is not a plan to pay for the new paid fire company. The township code regarding forming a new fire company was VIOLATED with no explanation to the fire companies in our township.

7. There is no plan to employ a new Fire Marshal. We still cannot find out why they got rid of Fire Marshal Scanlon.

No answers, continued threatening and intimidating atmosphere regarding public safety coming from township officials and a lack of direction other than surprise last minute meetings to announce fund reduction for the fire companies have made serving our community very difficult.

It would be interesting to see an investigative reporter contact our township fire companies to find out what they know about the Director of Public Safety and the Mayor shutting down the Union Fire Company, the capabilities of the township training center and related costs and the lack of leadership coming from the township.

When the heat is on, the township usually comes up with a feel good public relations event to offset the issues they refuse to discuss. Can't wait to see what the publicity hounds come up with this time!

APPARENTLY THERE ARE SOME PISSED OFF FIREFIGHTERS WHO DON'T BUY ANYTHING THAT KISSELBACK OR THE REST OF THE COUNCIL SAID LAST MONDAY. TO THE FIREFIGHTRS WHO WROTE THIS, READ WHAT JOSHUA 1:9 SAYS: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE THREATS OR THE INTIMIDATION OF THIS "NABAL"!!!


TAKE A STAND AND FIGHT FOR WHAT YOU KNOW IS RIGHT!!