Robeson Township demands plan from volunteer fire company after resident alleges frequent nonresponse

Heather Steel, a Robinson Township resident, used the public-comment period to urge the board to act after years of what she described as inconsistent fire coverage on the township's east side.

"I've noticed over many years that Jialter Fire fails to provide these services a significant amount of times," Steel said, adding, "I've heard that nearly 90% of the calls that come into the station are scratched." She asked why two volunteer companies that both receive taxpayer support appear to provide markedly different levels of service and asked how public funds are being spent.

Board members and staff discussed remedies if the fire company does not engage with the township. Options included withholding township funding tied to the department, revoking the department's run card (the dispatch designation that calls them as a primary responder) or routing funds to another provider. Staff noted the social-quarters fundraising (dinners, bar receipts) and the nonprofit legal status of the fire company are separate from the operational entity that accepts public funds, but that acceptance of taxpayer money can impose quasi-public responsibilities.

Several supervisors recommended a short performance-improvement approach before rejecting or defunding the company. Wayne Steel proposed a 30-day performance improvement plan (PIP) and that Guyertown Fire Company's command structure temporarily oversee responses for the affected area until the matter is resolved.

The board voted to instruct the manager to begin updating run cards (dispatch priority lists) subject to solicitor review and moved to send the fire company a written notice asking it to appear and present a corrective plan. The motion included two options: a plan to restore reliable coverage, or the township would consider redirecting funding and revoking the run card. The board set a response expectation tied to the Nov. 18 meeting.

What happens next: staff will draft and send the written notice, the manager will begin the run-card update process with solicitor review and nearby departments have offered technical assistance to update CAD (dispatch) entries. The board also discussed using Right-to-Know requests for records if the company does not cooperate.

Notes on names and claims: the resident repeatedly referenced "Jialter Fire Company" and the transcript contains several variant spellings for local departments (Gyertown/Guyertown/Gigertown). The board did not reach an adjudication of the allegations at the meeting; the complaint and the board's demand for a plan are administrative steps to gather information and force a response.