North Strabane proposes police, fire department restructuring

North Strabane Township’s Board of Supervisors is proposing a restructure of the township’s police and fire departments.
At its meeting Tuesday, the board proposed condensing the police and fire departments into a Public Safety Department, to be led by fire Chief Mark Grimm.
Under the proposal, Grimm would oversee the administrative tasks for both the police and fire departments. Assistant fire Chief Rich Yosi would maintain his current title and lead the department, while a newly appointed captain would oversee the police department.
“We are one of the few townships that has a full-time police department, a full-time fire department,” said township manager Andy Walz. “We want there to be good-quality training opportunities for both of them, (and) just know that they can work together should we need that.”
Walz said Grimm has been with the township for years, and the board proposed making him the public safety director.
“We would not replace him as fire chief, nor would we hire a police chief,” said Walz. “We’re looking to promote one of our current police officers to the rank of captain to run the operations … within the police department. The current assistant fire chief, we’re looking at him to continue in that role, handle the day-to-day operations of that department.”
At next Tuesday’s meeting, supervisors will vote to create the police captain position and to revise the job description for both the assistant fire chief and public safety director.
The proposed restructuring follows the Sept. 27 separation of North Strabane Township and former police Chief Brian Hughes, who is on a personal leave of absence through Dec. 31, 2022, at which time his employment with the township will be terminated.
On Tuesday, North Strabane also proposed bringing the Planning Department and the Code Enforcement Department under one umbrella called the Community Development Department.
“In addition to the revisions here creating this public safety department, we’ve also, throughout the years, had a planning department – they handle planning and zoning – and we’ve had a code enforcement department, and they handle our building code enforcement. A lot of communities in Southwestern Pennsylvania combine those functions, and we’re looking at that now,” said Walz. “(So) when a developer or a resident comes in and applies for a permit, they’re talking to the same people from start to finish.”
Next week, the board of supervisors will also vote to authorize the public safety director to advertise a K-9 officer position and purchase a police dog.
Following last month’s death of Drago, the township’s police dog, Sgt. Matthew Mancini is no longer interested in serving as a K-9 officer, Walz said.
The voting meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the North Strabane Township municipal building.