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Swatara commissioners approve purchase agreement for Reliance Hose Company building; public seeks operational details
Summary
The board approved an agreement and resolution to acquire the Reliance Hose Company No. 1 parcel (vote 3–2); residents asked for written operational guarantees and timelines for any paid staffing or coverage changes.
The Swatara Township Board of Commissioners approved a purchase agreement and associated resolution to acquire the Reliance Hose Company No. 1 fire station parcel. The board approved the sale by roll call; commissioners Connolly, Steele and Ellis voted yes, and Commissioners Tuckie and Zubac voted no.
Vice President Steele, who summarized the board’s public record on the item, said the fire company membership had voted to release the parcel and that the township’s purchase intention had been presented to the board in prior packets. "The Rutherford Fire Company and its members voted to turn over the building to the township, obviously, for $10," Vice President Steele said during discussion; the board confirmed the parcel to be transferred is the parcel where the building sits and not additional adjacent parcels.
Members of the public urged the board to publish the proposed agreement and to explain how acquisition would affect fire coverage. Residents said they wanted explicit operational details — whether paid staffing would be placed at the station, anticipated shift/coverage levels, and timelines for any staffing changes — and asked how the township would guarantee response levels in the purchase agreement. The township said that, now that the agreement was publicly presented at the meeting, the document is a public record and staff would distribute an electronic copy to interested residents and bring operational plans to the Fire & Rescue Service Board for further discussion.
The board said the purchase is intended to preserve local station capacity and allow the township to pursue improved, long‑term staffing models; operational details and any service guarantees will be the subject of upcoming fire service‑board meetings and staffing plans.
Next steps: staff will provide the public with an electronic copy of the agreement, and the Fire & Rescue Service Board will hold a follow‑up meeting to present operational plans, staffing expectations and a timeline for implementation.
