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January 31st 2008

The meeting of the Upper Leacock Township Fire Services Committee was held on Thursday, January 31, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. in the Township meeting room. Members present were:

Ron Simmons, Supervisor; Nelson Dagen, Upper Leacock Fire Chief; Nelson Bard, Chief Dagen’s alternate; Eddie Oberholtzer, Chief Oberholtzer’s alternate; Wilmer Musser, “Township resident at large”; Dan Fisher, Business Representative, and Denny Millhouse, Emergency Management Coordinator.  Nelson Oberholtzer, Bareville Fire Chief, was absent.

 The meeting was called to order by Ron Simmons.

 The election of officers was held with the following results:

 Ø      Chairman – Wilmer Musser

Ø      Vice Chairman – Denny Millhouse

Ø      Secretary – Nelson Dagen

Ø      Assistant Secretary – Dan Fisher

The remainder of the meeting consisted of a tour of Upper Leacock and Bareville Fire Companies.

With no further discussion, the meeting adjourned at 10:00 p.m. The next meeting will be on February 28, 2008, at 7:00 p.m., in the meeting room at the Upper Leacock Township building.

Respectfully Submitted

Nelson Dagen

Secretary

cc:       Ron Simmons, Supervisor

Nelson Dagen, Fire Chief

Nelson Bard, Alternate

Nelson Oberholtzer, Fire Chief

Eddie Oberholtzer, Alternate

Denny Millhouse, Emergency Management Coordinator

Wilmer Musser, Resident at Large

Dan Fisher, Business Representative

December 27, 2007

The meeting of the Upper Leacock Township Fire Services Committee was held on Thursday, December 27, 2007, at 7:00 p.m. in the Township meeting room. Ron Simmons, Supervisor; Nelson Dagen, Upper Leacock Fire Chief; Nelson Bard, Chief Dagen’s alternate;

Nelson Oberholtzer, Bareville Fire Chief; Eddie Oberholtzer, Chief Oberholtzer’s alternate;

Wilmer Musser, “Township resident at large”; and Dan Fisher, Business Representative, were present. Denny Millhouse, Emergency Management Coordinator, was absent.  

Nelson Bard, acting Chairman, began the meeting. The Board discussed what the prior Fire Services Task Force did by reviewing the Fire Companies Task Force dated February 24, 2005 and the Senate Resolution 60 Commission dated November of 2004. Mr. Bard noted that there was a page missing that showed the fire company representatives at that time. Past representatives were discussed and pages 14 and 15 of the SR 60 studies were read regarding manpower needs.

Mr. Bard discussed fire company consolidation. In his opinion, a merger would be detrimental. If you should modernize the cultures too much, all the good that Bareville does would become diluted. Chief Dagen stated he was the last Leacock Fire Chief and was a key part of the 1988 merger. Fifteen years before that, Chief Dagen explained, the subject of consolidation with Leola was rejected because of a strong local live village mentality that Leacock would not deal with this. Two years before 1988, serious talk about consolidation actually began. Before the consolidation took place they worked on making the constitution and bylaws the same in each fire company. At this time Bareville was invited to give it serious thought and they stated that they were not interested. Chief Dagen stated he did not think that Bareville Fire Company was at all close to agreeing to a consolidation. Chief Nelson Oberholtzer stated that it has been talked about and Bareville Fire Company is realizing that a merger will probably happen sooner or later. Mr. Ron Simmons was hoping that their reasoning was not because of the newly formed Fire Services Committee.

Mr. Bard stated that the financial burden has gotten better with grants. The third party billing has shriveled up and needs to be addressed. There was further discussion regarding finances and fund drives. Chief Dagen stated that more money comes from the donation letters than any other source of money received.

Mr. Bard stated that the sign in front of the Upper Leacock Fire Company had fallen apart and a used sign replaced that sign. The new used sign has now fallen apart and they are in need of a new sign. They looked into an electronic sign and the price was about $29,000.00. There is agreement that a new sign is needed but there are some who think that an electronic sign is not cost efficient. There was further discussion on signage. 

Chief Dagen stated he would like to talk about traffic units. Mr. Simmons asked what a traffic unit was and Chief Dagen responded. A traffic unit is a traffic control vehicle containing cones and lights, etc. As traffic got worse it was decided that barricades were necessary to block roads off and show directional signs. That wasn’t working so Bareville and Upper Leacock got together to discuss the problem. It was decided to try using squad 3-1 as a traffic supply unit. There was further discussion regarding the traffic unit.       

Mr. Simmons stated he would very much like a tour of Bareville and Upper Leacock Fire Companies. The tour will be on January 31, 2008 following the regular meeting.

 There was a brief discussion regarding fire company equipment. Fire taxes were also discussed.

 With no further discussion, the meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m. The next meeting will be on January 31, 2008, at 7:00 p.m., in the meeting room at the Upper Leacock Township building.

                                                                                             Respectfully Submitted,

                                                                                              Nelson Dagen

                                                                                             Acting Secretary

pc:   Supervisor in Attendance

Nelson Dagen, Fire Chief

Nelson Bard, Alternate

Nelson Oberholtzer, Fire Chief

Eddie Oberholtzer, Alternate

Denny Millhouse, Emergency Management Coordinator

Wilmer Musser, Resident at Large

Dan Fisher, Business Representative

November 29, 2007

The meeting of the Upper Leacock Township Fire Services Committee was held on Thursday, November 29, 2007, at 7:00 p.m. in the Township meeting room. Ron Simmons, Supervisor; Nelson Dagen, Upper Leacock Fire Chief; Nelson Bard, Chief Dagen’s alternate; Nelson Oberholtzer, Bareville Fire Chief; Eddie Oberholtzer, Chief Oberholtzer’s alternate;

Denny Millhouse, Emergency Management Coordinator, and Wilmer Musser, “Township resident at large” were present. Dan Fisher attended the meeting and has accepted the invitation to become a member of the Fire Services Committee.

Ron Simmons, acting Chairman, began the meeting by asking if any members had any thoughts on the open burning issue, and whether any members of the fire companies would be attending the open burning meeting. Chief Dagen stated that he was firmly opposed to all burning that is illegal and toxic such as tires, plastics, oil, etc. Chief Dagen also stated that he could go either way, to burn or not burn leaves and yard waste, as long as the fire chief is not dragged into the middle of a dispute between neighbors. Mr. Simmons stated that any violations would be handled by the police department. There was a lengthy discussion regarding burning in the Township and other ways to dispose of leaves.  

Mr. Millhouse stated they have been working towards having a fleet fuel card system for the Township as requested by the Supervisors. They will be using Fleet Management System and it would be for gasoline only through Turkey Hill.

Officers will be elected in January of 2008.

With no further discussion, the meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m. The next meeting will be on December 27, 2007, at 7:00 p.m., in the meeting room at the Upper Leacock Township building.

Respectfully Submitted,

Dennis Millhouse

Acting Secretary

 cc:   Supervisor in Attendance

Nelson Dagen, Fire Chief

Nelson Bard, Alternate

Nelson Oberholtzer, Fire Chief

Eddie Oberholtzer, Alternate

Denny Millhouse, Emergency Management Coordinator

Wilmer Musser, Resident at Large

Dan Fisher, Business Representative

October 25th 2007

The third meeting of the Upper Leacock Township Fire Services Committee was held on Thursday, October 25, 2007, at 7:00 p.m. in the Township meeting room. Ron Simmons, Supervisor; Nelson Dagen, Upper Leacock Fire Chief; Nelson Bard, Chief Dagen’s alternate; Nelson Oberholtzer, Bareville Fire Chief; Eddie Oberholtzer, Chief Oberholtzer’s alternate; Denny Millhouse, Emergency Management Coordinator, and Wilmer Musser, “Township resident at large” were present. Meetings will be held on the fourth Thursday of the month unless it falls on a holiday.

Supervisor Simmons began the meeting by introducing Dan Fisher. Mr. Fisher was present to observe the Fire Services Committee and possibly become a member. Introductions were made.

There was a discussion regarding a pay raise for the Special Police. Supervisor Simmons stated that in 1974 the Township was paying their Special Police $7.50/hr. In 1995 it went up to $8.00 and $8.25 in 1997, $8.80 in 2001, and $9.00 in 2002. Chairman Simmons also stated that most Special Police in other municipalities are volunteers and operate only on donations.  Supervisor Simmons asked if the Special Police might be better off if they were getting donations from those who were requesting their services instead of an hourly rate. After a lengthy discussion it was decided to see if volunteering for donations rather than an hourly rate would be feasible. Supervisor Simmons stated that he would give their decision to the Supervisors at their next meeting.

Supervisor Simmons stated that the Supervisors voted to increase the amount of the EMS tax. The maximum that can be charged is $52.00 per year. This increase, Supervisor Simmons added, will be split between the two fire companies, the Leola Ambulance company and the East Lampeter Township Police.

Supervisor Simmons stated that he had heard rumors that Upper Leacock Fire Company is almost non-existent. Chief Dagen replied that there are some problems. There was some friction between members. Some of the Amish were leaving the Fire Company. There had been emails sent with bad language, bad accusations, etc. The president resigned and shortly after the captain resigned. They held a special meeting to consider these particular issues. The meeting went very well, according to Chief Dagen, as it did not “blow up in everybody’s face.”  Chief Dagen stated he will know better how the meeting went once the elections are held in November. There was a lengthy discussion regarding manpower, air mask regulations, training, territory, and several other issues.

Chief Dagen explained that due to the fact that the rescue companies (box alarms) are no longer active, it is up to the fire chiefs to give the call to County Radio and that determines what company gets the call. Only the Township or someone on the Fire Services Committee can over-ride this decision. When it becomes one chief vs. the neighboring chief, it is a Township issue, County will not get involved until either the two chiefs agree or the Township intervenes. There was further discussion regarding the rescue companies, chain of commands, and territory.

Chief Dagen headed a lengthy discussion on equipment and tool defects and/or flaws.

With no further discussion, the meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m. The next meeting will be on November 29, 2007, in the meeting room at the Upper Leacock Township building immediately following the Local Services Tax meeting.

September 27th 2007

The second meeting of the Upper Leacock Township Fire Services Committee was held on Thursday, September 27, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. in the Township meeting room. Ron Simmons, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors; Nelson Dagen, Upper Leacock Fire Chief; Nelson Bard, Chief Dagen’s alternate; Nelson Oberholtzer, Bareville Fire Chief; Eddie Oberholtzer, Chief Oberholtzer’s alternate and Denny Millhouse, Emergency Management Coordinator, were present. Wilmer Musser, “township resident at large”, was absent. Meetings will be held on the fourth Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. unless it falls on a holiday. 

Supervisor Simmons explained to the Committee what had occurred at the last Supervisor’s meeting regarding Upper Leacock Fire Company. He stated that there were a few Amish gentlemen at the meeting who voiced their opinions. These gentlemen stated that there had been evidence of inappropriate behavior at the Fire Company and as long as this behavior is occurring, they are not willing to support the Fire Company. Chief Dagen stated that the only inappropriate behavior that he was aware of had happened in the past and is no longer going on.

Supervisor Simmons stated he thought it might be advantageous to have someone from the Amish community on the Fire Services Committee. The rest of the members agreed. The Committee discussed possible candidates. The Committee will wait until they have representation from the Industrial/Commercial sector before pursuing the Amish representation.

Denny Millhouse stated he has prepared a “Mission Statement”. This has been approved by

Mike Morris, Township Manager. Mr. Millhouse handed out copies of the statement. There was a brief discussion regarding the “Mission Statement”.

Chief Dagen stated that they do third party billing for accident calls. The bills are standardized county-wide. It is highly unlikely that the Fire Company will ever see any of that money. The Fire Company has not seen any of that money in the last couple of years. Chief Dagen also stated that Upper Leacock Fire Company has done third party billing and Bareville Fire Company has not. The only way they pick up any money now is if it is through Hazmat. Chief Dagen will look into this matter further.    

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 pm.

The next Fire Services Committee meeting will be held on October 25, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. at the Township building.

August 30th, 2007

The first meeting of the Upper Leacock Township Fire Services Committee was held on Thursday, August 30, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. in the Township meeting room. Ron Simmons, Supervisor; Nelson Dagen, Upper Leacock Fire Chief; Nelson Bard, Chief Dagen’s alternate; Nelson Oberholtzer, Bareville Fire Chief; Eddie Oberholtzer, Chief Oberholtzer’s alternate; Denny Millhouse, Emergency Management Coordinator; and Wilmer Musser, “township resident at large”, were present. Meetings will be held on the fourth Thursday of the month unless it falls on a holiday.

Supervisor Simmons thanked all who were present for coming together to form this Committee. He stated that it is something that has been needed in the Township in order to get things organized and made easier for the fire companies. Supervisor Simmons recognized that there was no one representing the industrial/commercial sector.

Supervisor Simmons explained that a Supervisor will be present at the meetings only to answer questions and/or to advise the Committee if necessary. Supervisor Simmons made sure that everyone present had a copy of the Fire Services Committee Ordinance.

Chief Dagen proposed that topics that needed to be discussed be suggested, but not necessarily in any particular order. Supervisor Simmons stated that one of the issues needing discussion is manpower. Chief Dagen agreed and stated that long range plans should also be addressed.

Chief Dagen asked where we are going in the Township, looking down the road 10 or 20 years. Another issue Chief Dagen suggested for discussion was the issue of Upper Leacock and Bareville Fire Companies becoming one fire company. Chief Oberholtzer stated the Fire Services Committee would be an ideal way to pull the fire companies and the township together. Another topic of discussion should be funding. A fire tax and fund raising was discussed. Chief Dagen stated that many people aren’t aware that the fire companies run on donations and are not tax supported. Supervisor Simmons suggested an article be put in the next newsletter asking people to please support their local fire companies. 

Chief Dagen went over the territories for each fire company and suggested these boundaries be discussed also.  There was some discussion regarding boundaries and which fire companies should respond to which areas. Chief Oberholtzer stated that he thinks these decisions, if there is a discrepancy, should be made by someone who is not directly involved with the fire companies.

Officers such as a Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Assistant Secretary will be elected at the next meeting for the remainder of 2007. Officers are to be elected or re-elected in January of each year.

The Burning Ordinance and recycling regulations were discussed. Supervisor Simmons stated that, according to Bill Cassidy (Solicitor), the Township is in violation of the DEP recycling rules and regulations because there isn’t a good recycling ordinance stating what is allowed and what is not allowed. He also stated that the Township now receives about $18,000.00 to $26,000.00 per year for recycling rates including leaves. Supervisor Simmons stated that if burning of recycled materials is permitted within the Township, we could lose the recycling grant. There was further discussion regarding recycling centers and Burning Ordinances in other townships.

Chief Dagen stated that the Police Department was not aware of our draft Burning Ordinance. Supervisor Simmons stated that the Police Department should be made aware of the Burning Ordinance so that it can be enforced properly. Supervisor Simmons also stated it would be beneficial if our Burning Ordinance was similar to East Lampeter Township’s Burning Ordinance. It was agreed that East Lampeter Township’s Ordinance is strict and complicated.  

Denny Millhouse suggested that a “Mission Statement” be created for the Fire Services Committee. This brought more discussion on whether or not the fire companies should become one or remain as two separate companies. There was concern regarding how residents and volunteers would react to a change whether it be having one fire company with two stations or combining the companies into one. One issue with becoming one fire company would be that it may result in the loss of valuable volunteers.

Another issue discussed was whether or not there is a need for qualifications for fire chiefs; when a fire chief gets elected, how do we know this person is qualified for the position. Supervisor Simmons stated that if someone gets elected and it turns out, for any reason, they are not qualified for the position, the Supervisors would step in and terminate this person’s position as fire chief. Supervisor Simmons stated he would talk with Bill Cassidy regarding this issue.

Another problem Chief Dagen pointed out was the growing problem of residential automatic fire alarms going off. He suggested the fire company take a look at this issue at some point.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 pm.

The next Fire Services Committee meeting will be September 27, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. at the Township building.

A MISSIONS STATEMENT FOR THE

UPPER LEACOCK TOWNSHIP

FIRE SERVICES COMMITTEE

The purpose of this committee is to render recommendations on significant operational issues related to fire service in the Township.

Issues of discussion shall be, but not limited to, coverage areas of first response, ways to improve fire service delivery, methods of reducing duplication of fire services and the promotion and enhancement of our volunteer fire services.

This committee shall be available to assist in the submission of the annual report required to be made by the fire companies to the Board of Supervisors, per Section 1803 of the Second Class Township Code. The committee shall be required to submit an annual report to the Board of Supervisors summarizing the meeting minutes.

This committee shall be available to review requests for financial assistance and to review all capital acquisitions by a Township fire company.