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Bradford County fire chief outlines response gaps, board schedules public hearings on assessment and discusses Brooker station
Summary
County fire leadership presented data on response times, ISO impact and a proposed fire-assessment fee. Commissioners set public hearings and discussed using a $500,000 state appropriation to start a Brooker fire station while seeking municipal commitment and additional funding for staffing.
Fire Chief Ben Carter told the Board of County Commissioners May 6 that Bradford County Fire Rescue’s current staffing and station locations leave response times well above national recommendations in several areas, and he urged commissioners to consider a fire assessment to stabilize staffing and equipment funding.
The board scheduled two public hearings on the proposed fire assessment — one in July and a second on Aug. 21 — and staff said property-owner notices will be mailed between the hearings; grievance and correction requests may begin once notices go out.
Why it matters: Chief Carter said national standards (NFPA 1710) recommend a first-arriving unit on scene within 4 minutes; the county’s average first-arriving time is 9 minutes, 18 seconds. The chief said the county handled 7,536 incidents in 2024 (an average of 21 incidents per day) and ran 1,223 fire-related calls last year. Carter said a 50% cost-recovery assessment would set the residential fee at $167 per dwelling unit, nonresidential at…
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