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Fire and police report rising demand; Avondale/Westgrove merger and EMS trends discussed
Summary
Quarterly reports showed rising dispatch counts and repair costs for Avondale Fire Company and mixed crime trends for the Southern Chester County Regional Police; speakers discussed ambulance transports, a pending Avondale‑Westgrove merger and implications for staffing and funding.
Avondale Fire Company and the Southern Chester County Regional Police delivered third‑quarter reports at the Oct. 20 New Garden Township supervisors meeting that described operational pressures and near‑term organizational changes.
Avondale/EMS representative (Steve) reported local dispatch statistics, repairs on apparatus (including warranty work on a 2021 Seagrave engine) and a trend toward higher EMS transports compared with previous years; he noted a steering‑committee process with Westgrove on governance and said a joint membership vote is targeted for Nov. 22 to move toward a single entity. He also announced community events and fundraising results.
Lieutenant Joe Versagli of the regional police summarized quarterly crime and call data, saying thefts and online fraud are trending up while DUI incidents are down, and he presented detailed counts for calls for service and crashes. Versagli also described a traffic study on Reynolds Road (Aug. 25–Sep. 26 westbound sample) that found 10,445 vehicles during that month in the sampled direction and reported that recorded speeds were below enforceable thresholds for the sampled period; police said they will present follow‑up eastbound counts at a future meeting. Board members asked for further breakdowns on false alarms (which comprised a sizable share of fire responses) and for data distinguishing residential vs. commercial false alarms.
Board members and staff discussed funding pressure from emergency‑service costs, regional funding formulas for police and options for sustaining fire/EMS services; staff summarized a potential path toward a merged Avondale–West Grove fire organization but noted funding models remain under discussion. The board approved the scheduled fourth quarter appropriation payment to Avondale Fire Company and Southern Chester County EMS consistent with the FY25 budget.
