Monroe County Fire Company and township at odds over fire departments

TOBYHANNA, Pa. – Fire calls will be rare in the Tobyhanna Township Volunteer Fire Company.

The company has decided not to answer any more calls and the inhabitants of the canton are not happy about it.

“It’s kind of scary if something happens. I mean, all I have is a fire extinguisher in my house, so I wish I had someone there who knows what they’re doing. “said Adam Decker, a resident of Tobyhanna Township. .

“I’m furious. Like nobody knows we don’t have a fire company anymore,” said Tobyhanna Township resident Tracy McGrath.

Tobyhanna Township past a new order which they say would make the fire company more accountable, but it also includes a provision that would allow the township to take over a fire company if it is not performing properly.

The ordinance also gives the township the authority to approve the chief and deputy chief of the fire company.

Ed Tutrone, the current deputy chief and president of the fire company, said the fire company’s lawyer tried to negotiate several times, even warning the township that the fire company would no longer respond. to appeals if the ordinance were adopted.

“We pulled out of the primary, but we still expected them to continue to send us on a secondary basis. By pulling us out of the primary means they don’t have to fund us. So we were going to use our own funds until this is cleared up,” Tutrone said.

A quick resolution may not be likely.

A Monroe County 911 center supervisor told Newswatch 16 that he will not be sending the Tobyhanna Township Volunteer Fire Company to any call for the foreseeable future.

A statement of Tobyhanna Township Supervisors reads, in part:

“As this decision to withdraw was made solely by members of the fire department, the Board of Supervisors wants to assure residents and visitors to Tobyhanna Township that there will be NO disruption to the fire services of the township and surrounding areas.”

“Right now they are endangering the lives and property of the people of the township, whether they mean to tell you or not, because they are delaying the response by not having us dispatched,” Tutrone said.

The Township of Tobyhanna says it has been in touch with the other six companies currently helping and they will continue to serve the area.

Tutrone expects Pocono Summit and Tunkhannock Township to respond to most emergency calls from Tobyhanna Township until the situation is resolved and the Tobyhanna Township Volunteer Fire Company recovers. service.

Do you see the news? Text our Newstip Hotline.