Smith considering proposal for paid firefighter

When the siren sounds, volunteer firefighters drop what they’re doing and answer the call of duty. For many, that means closing businesses for the day or asking permission to leave work early.
Members of Slovan Volunteer Fire Department packed the Smith Township municipal building Wednesday and pitched the idea of hiring a full-time paid firefighter. The special meeting was held to address the VFD’s concerns about emergency planning, personnel and impact fee money.
After a lengthy discussion, the board of supervisors said they would consider hiring a full-time employee who could handle both road work and fire department duties. Supervisors said the employee should have a commercial driver’s license in addition to the certifications needed to handle fire and medical calls. The board is just beginning to review applications for the road department, and they hope to hire at least one employee by April.
Last year, Slovan VFD received 330 calls, of which 117 were between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Shaun Felton, president of the department, said there are about 20 active firefighters, but most work regular 9-to-5 shifts.
Usually, the department’s stations in Slovan and Cherry Valley are unmanned during the day.
“We’ve been very lucky that something major hasn’t happened during the day,” Felton said. “I’m afraid it’s going to catch up to us, and we’re just trying to do the proper steps to be prepared in case something does happen.”
Fire Chief Brandon Kriznik said firefighters often answer medical calls when an ambulance is unable to get to the scene on time.
“We’re down to one ambulance in the township,” he said. “When that ambulance leaves (town), we’re here to pick the pieces up.”
The dilemmas faced by short-staffed fire departments are not unique to Smith Township, though. Canonsburg Borough is taking steps to hire a paid firefighter, and departments in Mt. Pleasant, Midway, Hanover and McDonald already have paid firefighters, Felton said.
There were 300,000 volunteer firefighters in Pennsylvania in 1976, according to a state report. That number dwindled to about 50,000, former state fire commissioner Edward Mann said during a Senate hearing in 2013.
Felton said a full-time firefighter could manage burn permits and do on-site inspections to ensure that residents are adhering to the township’s ordinances. He said the employee also could help maintain the trucks and apply for grants.
Supervisor Anthony Gianfrancesco said the township likely would need to raise taxes in order to hire a full-time firefighter, but he said the board would consider the suggestion of hiring an employee to split duties between the road department and fire department.