The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

December 1, 2008

Brookfield rejects proposed fire protection deal for Hartford

Payment wouldn't cover cost of service, Brookfield chief says

By Patrick W. Connelly

BROOKFIELD, HARTFORD — Hartford trustees will have to up the ante if they hope to have Brookfield take over the municipality’s fire protection.

Brookfield trustees voted unanimously Monday night to reject a $105,000 offer to cover Hartford’s fire and emergency medical service calls.

“They want to unload that fire department and wash their hands of it,” Brookfield Fire Chief Keith Barrett said.

“That’s well and good, but (Hartford is) going to pay for it,” he added.

The contract between the municipalities would’ve lasted through 2011, but at only $35,000 a year, Brookfield can’t afford to cover the cost of running the services, Barrett said.

Under the deal, Brookfield would also have been responsible for all equipment needs and training of new firefighters and medical technicians. It would also have included use of a fire truck parked at Hartford’s station.

The department already helps Hartford free of charge on fire calls when available and handles Hartford’s ambulance services.

Brookfield bills Hartford $244 for each ambulance call in addition to the charge the resident pays for the service, Barrett said. The charge, which was implemented in November, is billed regardless of whether hospital transport is needed, he noted.

Hartford trustees have been trying to work out a deal with Brookfield for the last three years, Brookfield Trustee J. Philip Schmidt said.

If they can’t meet the terms Brookfield requests soon, they’re “wasting our time,” Schmidt added.

“You’ve drawn it up,” Trustee Gary Lees told Barrett. “If they can’t accept it, it’s time to move on.”

Hartford runs a strictly volunteer department with only about six firefighters — none of which are full-time employees, Barrett said.

If Brookfield were to take over Hartford’s services, the chief said he would gladly take the volunteers, but wouldn’t be able to hire another full-time firefighter at the amount offered.

Barrett suggested the two towns form a fire district where taxes to run the department could be levied on an equal playing field.

Text Only
Local News
  • pension graphic Pension bomb ticking for city

    The city of Sharon pays more people who don’t work there anymore than folks who still do.

    And the amount of money the city must pay to the retirees is going up about $250,000 next year, a hike that creates more problems for the cash-strapped town, City Manager Scott Andrejchak said.

    May 26, 2012 1 Photo

  • Church softball league to Mormons: You’re out!

    The Grove City Area Church Softball League’s decision to exclude a Mormon team from Slippery Rock has sparked a controversy far beyond the local sandlot.

    May 26, 2012

  • Fired bus driver files lawsuit

    A Mercer County woman fired from her job as a school bus driver over a 25-year-old drug conviction filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against a state education official and Jamestown Area School District.

    May 26, 2012

  • Recycling program a bit too popular

    The  county’s effort at going green by encouraging recycling in rural areas has been a tremendous success by most accounts, but isn’t without a few glitches. In Wilmington Township, residents often only have a window of a few minutes to get cardboard recyclables in before the bin is full, prompting a discussion among Mercer County Commissioners Wednesday morning.

    May 25, 2012

  • District will tap reserve fund

    Reynolds school directors plan to fill a $374,567 hole in the 2012-2013 budget with money from the district’s fund balance.

    May 25, 2012

  • School board mulls change to sports chaperone policy

    In order to comply with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, the Sharpsville Area School Board is looking to adjust a chaperone policy it implemented six months ago.

    May 25, 2012

  • Afternoon crash hurts 3 high school students

    Three Jamestown High School students were injured – one seriously – when their pickup left a roadway in southwest Crawford County and crashed into a tree Tuesday afternoon.

    May 24, 2012

  • Board sells some, holds some

    Brookfield Board of Education members voted Tuesday to accept only the bids for the elementary school and the middle school, for a total of $97,050.
    The decision came after an hour-long executive session.

    May 24, 2012

  • Levey: Kohl’s project died with school vote

    Stripped of the necessity of voting for a tax incremental finance plan by Hermitage School Board’s unwillingness to participate, Mercer County commissioners said Wednesday they would like to meet with school board and Hermitage city officials to discuss other ways they can help Levey and Co. build a retail development in the city.

    But Levey spokeswoman Jeffrey A. Mills said there is nothing to discuss.

    May 24, 2012

  • Warden expects hectic season at county jail

    With the unofficial start of summer just a few days away, Mercer County Jail officials are preparing for a busy season.

    May 23, 2012