I was out on Valentines Day with my wonderful hubby, and we found this on the windshield of our car.
We in the fire service of Bensalem Township have had enough! We have tried to speak with the Mayor, the Director of Public Safety and the Council. We get nothing!
We asked to see the SAFER grant that the Township applied for. We were refused even though it directly affects us! We had to file through the Federal government to get a copy. When we read the application, we can best say that the “facts” included in the application are at best misleading. The truth is they are out right falsehoods! We were told by several council members that the fire companies would not lose money to provide for the paid fire company. They “gave us their word”. Well, we are losing money! We were told that the paid company would be in service from 8:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. and it was included in the grant application to the Federal government. That was a lie. The paid company works Monday through Friday 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.!
The Director of Public Safety created a seventh fire company (the paid company) without following ANY OF THE TOWNSHIP ORDINANCES RELATED TO THE MATTER!
When we raised concerns about the location of the training center, are questions were NEVER answered. Now we have a $5,000,000.00 center built too close to major roadways that has no sprinkler system for us to train on. There was no provision for burning in the building so we can’t simulate actual class A structure fire situations!
They conducted a “fire service survey” without giving us any input with the exception of us providing information to them without the Township providing any information to us! When we asked to meet with the Mayor and Council, they told us they were meeting with attorneys to discuss the survey. Let us get this straight; you are speaking with attorneys before you speak with us? Where is the open light of communication?
We are asked to continue providing 24/7 days a week coverage while losing funding!
To sum this up, we are being forced to continue providing service with reduced funding, while the rest of the emergency services gets increased funding to provide the same service. We have received no explanation as to the Township’s plans for paying for the paid fire company when the grant runs out. We do not have our concerns addressed by the Public Safety Director or the government of Bensalem resulting in wasted public funding for a training center that does not meet our needs.
It is hard enough to recruit new personnel, however it becomes even more difficult when the recruits and the membership of our fire companies have no confidence in the leadership of the Township we serve!
This feeling does not include the leaders of fire companies in the township that are paid employees of the township!
We would also like to get an explanation for the layoff of the Fire Marshal!
Ladies and gentlemen this is a person who has consistently LIED to the first responders, as well as the YOU. He shows his callous disregard for the law, by violating the very township ordinances that exist when he started the Paid Fire Company. He shows even more disregard for women, by firing a capable and caring person such as Rosalee Flemkie, because he wants to save a few $$$
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