Tredyffrin board approves joint agreement to create Tradition‑Easttown fire commission amid public questions about governance and budgets

The Tredyffrin Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Dec. 15 to adopt a joint resolution and attached intermunicipal agreement with Easttown that creates a Tradition‑Easttown (TE) Fire Commission and a regional fire department to coordinate funding and operations for participating volunteer fire companies.

Solicitor Patrick McKenna summarized the agreement’s scope, saying it covers definitions, the composition and powers of the new commission, budget procedures, insurance requirements, and provisions for the two facilities noted in the document — 1485 Valley Forge Road and 23 Bridge Avenue. "The agreement creates the commission, it's the framework, it creates the funding mechanism and some of those mechanisms for the fire companies," McKenna said.

Supervisors described the measure as a long‑worked compromise intended to stabilize volunteer fire services amid declining volunteerism and rising costs. Board members praised the many months of negotiation and said the agreement provides a starting point for further work. One supervisor moved to adopt the agreement subject to adding a clear definition of "member of a fire company," and colleagues supported that approach.

During public comment, representatives of local fire companies and residents asked detailed questions about how the TE fire department would operate. A speaker identifying himself as vice president of the Paley Fire Company and deputy chief said the company appreciated municipal support for volunteer programs but was concerned about several clauses. He read language in the agreement that would bar current members or employees of participating fire companies, or relatives, from appointment to the commission or from serving as director of fire and EMS; he warned that the restriction could exclude experienced local candidates and make impartiality difficult to achieve in practice.

Ray Clark and other residents asked whether the new department would take title to stations and assets, how rental and maintenance responsibilities would be divided, how contributions from residents or fund‑raising by fire companies would be netted against township payments, who would employ full‑time staff and sign payroll checks, and whether a pension plan referenced in the agreement would apply to existing company personnel. At one point a resident summarized perceived changes: that one station and its assets would be transferred to the TE department and operated under an annual $1 rent model while the department assumed operation and maintenance costs.

Board members and staff repeatedly framed the vote as the first formal step toward a larger process. "We're at the point of creating a framework so we actually have some way to start answering those questions," Mr. Martin told the meeting, adding that many operational details remain to be decided and that the commission will refine budgeting and staffing over the coming months. The board noted a prior township study and said the commission provides a single forum for budgeting so fire companies only need to seek budget approval once rather than from both municipalities.

The board approved the resolution by roll call; the resolution and attached intermunicipal agreement will now be implemented according to the agreement’s amendment and withdrawal provisions and the further public process the townships outlined. Several residents urged the board to publish clear timelines and staffing, capital and pension details as the commission begins its work.

Next steps noted by staff include clarifying the "member" definition, detailing how capital expenditures and facility repairs will be allocated between the two municipalities, and working with the fire companies to determine whether some positions will be township employees or remain on company payrolls. The board said more public outreach will follow as the commission meets and translates the framework into operational budgets and staffing plans.