It looks like more firefighters are coming out of the woodwork to defend Union. This next bit of information proves that not all the fire companies are in Henry VIII pocket.
We have tried to get answers from the government of Bensalem with no luck. Without are advice or assistance, the Director of Public Safety and select members of the Fire Marshal's office selected a group to conduct a survey of the fire service in Bensalem. They never stated what the goals of the survey were or what they wanted from the survey. We were not asked. During a meeting at our fire station they asked us about the services we provide to the community and our concerns. We told them there was a lack of communication coming from township officials. We told them about the paid firefighters, the lack of a plan for paying for the paid firefighter program, the training center and no township plan. We were told all our issues would be addressed in the survey. After this, our Chief and President were summoned to a meeting with the Director of Public Safety and the Mayor; they refused to tell our department what the meeting was for. When our officers got there they were told that they had to take money from us to pay for the paid fire company. We asked for a copy of the SAFER grant so we could review it. THEY REFUSED! We asked them for the operating procedures for the paid firefighters, THEY REFUSED! We asked for a copy of the fire service survey, THEY TOLD US THEY HAD TO MEET WITH THE LAWYERS FIRST! Why would you meet with lawyers before you meet with the fire service? We got a copy of the SAFER grant through the Freedom of Information Act (that's right, we had to file through the Feds). The reason the township refused to give us a copy was the application is full of lies! In fact, the township stated they would have 4 firefighters on the paid engine, they have 2! When our officer told the township that they formed an independent paid fire company in violation of township code (section 6) they told them to refer to section 7. THERE IS NO SECTION 7. Now they released the study after repeated requests. It is over 200 pages. They gave to the fire departments than three weeks to review it and told the chief and president NOT TO SHARE IT WITH THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE DEPARTMENT! We need an agency selected NOT BY THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND SELECT MEMBERS OF THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE, but selected by the fire service and the council of Bensalem to conduct a proper survey that goals is NOT TAKING MORE MONEY FROM THE VOLUNTEERS! The fact that you lied on a Federal Grant Application, failed to create a plan for operating the paid fire company, violated township code and continually LIE TO THE FIRE SERVICE IS NOT OUR PROBLEM!
Our fire company has been lied to by one of our officers who has since been given a township job, forced to house a Bensalem EMS ambulance for free while Bensalem EMS pays Nottingham $1000.00 a month and pays its own utilities at their station. Our costs go up and they keep promising to pay! It has been over a year and cost us an additional 12% a month in utility bills!
We stood by when they attacked Union Fire Company because we are not particularly friendly with them and believed all the stuff the Director of Public Safety and select members of the Fire Marshal's Office were feeding us. WE BELIEVE NO MORE! We WILL BE CONTACTING UNION FIRE COMPANY to find out what has been going on. We are aware that the Director of Public Safety tried to get the Chief of Union arrested! Even though there was NO TRUTH TO THE RUMOR THAT STARTED FROM THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE! The Mayor refuses to meet with us UNLESS HE IS RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION!
Enough is enough. The Director of Public Safety and the Fire Marshal's office (since FM Scanlon was forced out) has done nothing but lied, attacked and damaged the fire service in Bensalem. Just look at the "fire school" to see what they did. Over $5,000,000.00 and we can barely use it for training! WE WILL STILL BE TRAVELING TO BUCKS COUNTY FIRE SCHOOL to obtain the training we need!
Now they want us to submit questions about the survey and their attempt to take away our relief money to them for a meeting at the end of this month! When we find out when and where the meeting is, we will send it to you so that you can post it and get the community to come out and help us!
This IS a definite cry for help from the HONEST firefighters. they've had enough of the township, Harran, and the Fire Marshall's criminal actions. Its time the ENTIRE population of this town were there for them, and there for them NOW!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment