April 5, 2023 Bellevue citizens and firefighters say they were blindsided by the decision.
Source Firehouse.com News
The Bellevue council’s decision to decertify the local volunteer fire department has drawn ire from residents and firefighters.
During a heated borough meeting Tuesday night, citizens and members of Columbia Hose, Hook and Ladder Company said they were blindsided by the move.
Residents found out in a letter they were losing their fire department.
The area is left with two career firefighters and one engine, who can respond to non-fire calls. Pittsburgh crews will respond at no cost, CBS News reported.
“I’m struggling to understand how the town is more safe and less expensive to operate without the excellent services of the volunteers?” one resident told the council.
After many angry citizens asked the council to reverse the decision, one man suggested a class action suit be filed to “get you all out of office.”
“To make that type of decision and not get the public input, I seriously question your ability to govern and protect the citizens of this borough,” one resident said.
Councilperson Sabreena Miller, who voted against the decertification, blasted the board for how everything was handled.
“The residents have every right to have some type of public engagement,” Miller said. “You pulled a stunt because this is something you had in the works for quite some time. You could have handled this in a better way.”
The council said studies showed the company was short-staffed to provide the service.
Former Bellevue Fire Chief Glenn Prichard told the council: “This was dirty. As a Bellevue resident, I don’t approve of how this went down. My biggest concern is the danger you are leaving people in.”