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Newberry Township hires nine paid drivers to speed daytime fire responses
Summary
Newberry Township approved a paid driver-operator program hiring nine part-time drivers to staff apparatus weekdays and support volunteer fire departments, aiming to shorten response times and boost volunteer participation.
Newberry Township on Monday approved a part-time paid driver-operator program the board and public-safety staff described as a major step to strengthen local fire response.
Braxton Diddy, assistant director of public safety for Newberry Township, told the board the program will employ nine part-time drivers, mostly stationed at Newberry Township Fire Department, to "support all three of our fire departments" and ensure apparatus leave the station during daytime hours when volunteers are less available. "I consider this the single biggest step forward in fire protection for our residents," Diddy said.
The drivers will work weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., perform rig checks, support volunteer crews on calls, and conduct outreach such as fire-prevention programs in schools, Diddy said. Chiefs from York Haven and Newberry Township said the paid drivers will complement — not replace — volunteer members and that the presence of a trained driver at the station increases the chances an engine can respond immediately when a call arrives.
Township officials and the fire chiefs said volunteers have begun signing up for daytime shifts to work alongside the paid drivers, a change they expect will reduce delays caused when on-call volunteers must travel from work to the station. "Now instead of waiting for people to get to the firehouse and go out the door, we're going to have people in the firehouse going out the door when they get the call," one chief said.
The board discussed the program during the public-safety portion of its agenda and approved the program as described. Officials said the township will continue to support the independent volunteer fire departments and that the program was recommended by township staff after multi-year study and consultation with local fire leadership.
Next steps include full deployment beginning the coming week, with supervisors monitoring operations and volunteer coordination. The board did not provide a breakdown of program cost during the announcement; officials said budgetary details will be tracked in future reports.
