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Upper Moreland Township looking at whether to decertify Willow Grove Volunteer Fire Department

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Published  November 27, 2023 11:19pm EST
Montgomery County
FOX 29 Philadelphia

Montgomery County controversy: Inside the Willow Grove Volunteer Fire Co. removal meeting

FOX 29's Shawnette Wilson gets the inside scoop on the ongoing controversy within Montgomery County's Willow Grove Volunteer Fire Company.

UPPER MORELAND TWP., Pa - In a week, Willow Grove volunteer firefighters will learn their fate. 

Among the issues, officials say few volunteers respond to calls, but volunteers say they often get called off before they arrive. 

"I really hope you guys all vote no to decommission. I think that would be horrible to do to us," said volunteer firefighter Lauren Jones. "Have you guys asked the volunteers why they have not been coming out, why the numbers are getting worse and why people are leaving?" she questioned. 

Jones and others spoke at an Upper Moreland Township Commissioner’s Public Safety Committee meeting Monday tonight. 

It comes ahead of a December 4th vote on whether to decertify the volunteer fire company. 

Township Manager Matthew Candland presented the findings of a study on the state of the volunteer company that began two years ago. 

"The problem is that we currently have 60 members of the Willow Grove Fire Company and of those only 16 are certified firefighters as of this month. In 2023 on average, only six of those volunteers per month were performing at the 25% level or higher. That 25% is active level," said Candland. 

Commissioners are looking at a dwindling number of volunteer firefighters, a decrease in the number of volunteers who respond to calls and response times. 

They also say there are problems within the volunteer department. They say the average for a response is 2 to 3 members. 

The township also says it had to close the gap to get adequate coverage for residents. They hired a new fire chief. 

"Since April of 2022 we had to hire another full-time firefighter and 17 part-time firefighters," said the town manager. 

Commissioners are now looking at how to recruit and retain members to ensure public safety. 

"We could go fully 24-7 and hire all full-time firefighters. That's not sustainable to costs. We could create a regionalized response. It's a great idea but difficult to get consensus, or third we could decommission the volunteer fire department and strive to rebuild the combination model. That is what the commissioners are considering," said the town manager.