CLEARFIELD – Some residents of Clearfield no longer hear fire whistles blow when there is an emergency, other areas are no longer home to a fire engine. Those changes came as a result of some restructuring that has been happening in Clearfield Borough since early this year.
“I took the initiative to start moving things around in February,” said John Williams, Clearfield Borough fire chief. At that time, engines No. 2 and No. 3 were moved to Clearfield Fire Department No. 1.
That initiative, though, came after a peer-to-peer study was completed by the Department of Environmental Protection and recommended that the borough needed fewer fire departments. Williams also cited resolutions passed by the state House and state Senate that authorized the study to be done.
“This is definitely the path the government wants everybody to take,” Williams said of the plan to consolidate the borough’s fire departments. In fact, the House resolution says, “When equipment was pulled to the scene of a fire by hand or by horse over very limited systems of roads, it made sense to establish multiple fire companies to serve new and growing communities. … At the beginning of the 21st century, Pennsylvania’s historic and traditional fire protection system is being challenged by a substantial decline in volunteers, an aging population, dramatically higher costs and decreased community support.” Williams said the move to one station has helped to alleviate some of the company’s manpower problems already. Wednesday night saw a false alarm at Kurtz Bros. The approximately 10:30 p.m. call was responded to within five minutes with a crew.
In the past, Williams said several engines would have shown up, some with one or two volunteers inside. This, he said, was a dangerous situation.
“This whole thing has taken years of research,” Williams said.
The research appears to have been correct. Williams said the department is now averaging a three- or four-minute response time. Williams also addressed alleged claims that he was not suitable to be a fire chief. For that, he presented borough council a list of his accreditations at Thursday’s meeting.
Clearfield Borough Council also received a petition at Thursday’s meeting from 4th Ward Councilman Barry Reddinger. He said 144 people and businesses had signed the document to keep engine No. 4 at Elk Hose Co.
“I think the people of the 4th Ward need to be recognized,” Reddinger said.
For more information on the House and Senate resolutions, visit these links:
HR 148: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/BI/BT/2003/0/HR0148P1046.HTM
SR60: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/BI/BT/2003/0/SR0060P1083.HTM