NJFFSA16
11-13-2002, 05:26 AM
Weirton City Council plans to dissolve two volunteer fire
companies and seize their assets, arguing local government needs
protection from lawsuits while paid fire commanders need control
over the volunteers who show up at their scenes.
But the battle that could set a legal precedent for volunteer
firefighters throughout West Virginia is almost certain to be
fought in court, where former chief Scott Moore and dozens of
supporters will seek an injunction.
City Council voted 4-2 Tuesday night to disband volunteer
companies No. 1 and No. 3. The city now plans to send a letter
demanding the companies dissolve their charters within 10 days.
"Which isn't going to happen," Moore vowed.
"This should never have come to this point, where the fire
departments are forced to expend all this money and the city is
spending taxpayer money to fight over our existence," he said.
"But the city doesn't talk to us. They dictate to us.
"It's in the hands of our attorney now."
Weirton, which has about 20,400 residents, employs 23 paid
firefighters at two stations that are staffed 24 hours a day. They
are supplemented by 39 volunteers from Company No. 2, whose members
have agreed to be absorbed.
The other two companies, which claim about 80 active and
supporting members, have operated independently for decades and are
resisting the order to give up their equipment and their access to
state and county revenues.
"Over the years, they've kind of built up friction," City
Manager Joe Cicchirillo said. "They have their own equipment, but
they're housed in city buildings. We've had some instances where,
on a fire scene, volunteers wouldn't take orders from a paid fire
chief. ... That wore thin."
The city wants to take control by establishing uniform training
systems, materials, equipment and mutual aid agreements,
Cicchirillo said.
"There's no use having six pumpers if you only need four," he
said.
"We're not against volunteerism," he added. "We're not
against volunteers, per se. They want to fight fires in the city,
but they don't want to answer to any city authority. Council just
feels if we're going to be liable for things that happen within the
city ... they should have control over it."
To Moore, the battle is really about money.
The ordinance would strip the fire companies of their
recognition by the State Fire Commission, which entitles them to
about $26,000 a year in public funding.
Moore also believes the city wants to sell the equipment from
the two companies and keep the cash, relying more heavily on mutual
aid agreements with cities like Steubenville, Ohio.
Moore did not dispute Cicchirillo's claim that Company No. 1
handled some $1.95 million on its books over a nine-year period, or
that some of the money came from public sources.
"As far as I'm concerned, they're robbing us. They want to take
our trucks. They want to take our bank accounts," he said. "They
want to know what was bought so they can take it. We earned that
money."
Moore's company received some public funding but raised the bulk
of its money by being "very financially innovative," he said.
"And yes, bingo money has paid for a lot of things. But they don't
have any idea what was bought because they didn't care."
Further complicating the dispute is the fact that Weirton is in
two counties; two-thirds lie in Hancock, the other third is in
Brooke. Although City Council sees the fire companies as part of
Weirton, Moore sees it differently.
"We were a Hancock County fire department that provided mutual
aid to the city of Weirton," he said. So, if they can win their
court fight to keep their equipment, that's how it will continue to
be.
"We've still got trucks. We've still got men. We've still got
the will to fight fire," Moore said.
(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
companies and seize their assets, arguing local government needs
protection from lawsuits while paid fire commanders need control
over the volunteers who show up at their scenes.
But the battle that could set a legal precedent for volunteer
firefighters throughout West Virginia is almost certain to be
fought in court, where former chief Scott Moore and dozens of
supporters will seek an injunction.
City Council voted 4-2 Tuesday night to disband volunteer
companies No. 1 and No. 3. The city now plans to send a letter
demanding the companies dissolve their charters within 10 days.
"Which isn't going to happen," Moore vowed.
"This should never have come to this point, where the fire
departments are forced to expend all this money and the city is
spending taxpayer money to fight over our existence," he said.
"But the city doesn't talk to us. They dictate to us.
"It's in the hands of our attorney now."
Weirton, which has about 20,400 residents, employs 23 paid
firefighters at two stations that are staffed 24 hours a day. They
are supplemented by 39 volunteers from Company No. 2, whose members
have agreed to be absorbed.
The other two companies, which claim about 80 active and
supporting members, have operated independently for decades and are
resisting the order to give up their equipment and their access to
state and county revenues.
"Over the years, they've kind of built up friction," City
Manager Joe Cicchirillo said. "They have their own equipment, but
they're housed in city buildings. We've had some instances where,
on a fire scene, volunteers wouldn't take orders from a paid fire
chief. ... That wore thin."
The city wants to take control by establishing uniform training
systems, materials, equipment and mutual aid agreements,
Cicchirillo said.
"There's no use having six pumpers if you only need four," he
said.
"We're not against volunteerism," he added. "We're not
against volunteers, per se. They want to fight fires in the city,
but they don't want to answer to any city authority. Council just
feels if we're going to be liable for things that happen within the
city ... they should have control over it."
To Moore, the battle is really about money.
The ordinance would strip the fire companies of their
recognition by the State Fire Commission, which entitles them to
about $26,000 a year in public funding.
Moore also believes the city wants to sell the equipment from
the two companies and keep the cash, relying more heavily on mutual
aid agreements with cities like Steubenville, Ohio.
Moore did not dispute Cicchirillo's claim that Company No. 1
handled some $1.95 million on its books over a nine-year period, or
that some of the money came from public sources.
"As far as I'm concerned, they're robbing us. They want to take
our trucks. They want to take our bank accounts," he said. "They
want to know what was bought so they can take it. We earned that
money."
Moore's company received some public funding but raised the bulk
of its money by being "very financially innovative," he said.
"And yes, bingo money has paid for a lot of things. But they don't
have any idea what was bought because they didn't care."
Further complicating the dispute is the fact that Weirton is in
two counties; two-thirds lie in Hancock, the other third is in
Brooke. Although City Council sees the fire companies as part of
Weirton, Moore sees it differently.
"We were a Hancock County fire department that provided mutual
aid to the city of Weirton," he said. So, if they can win their
court fight to keep their equipment, that's how it will continue to
be.
"We've still got trucks. We've still got men. We've still got
the will to fight fire," Moore said.
(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)