Upper Darby officials passed a $101 million budget during a busy council meeting last week, but much of the discussion was on the future of the fire department.
During the meeting, council moved forward on plans to have a third party come in and look at fire and EMS service in the township, as well as plans to search for a permanent fire chief.
Brian Boyce has been serving for the past 18 months as interim chief after former Township Chief Derrick Sawyer resigned. Chief Administrative Officer Crandall Jones said Boyce is welcome to apply for the permanent position.
MediaNews Group file photo
Former Upper Darby Fire Chief Derrick Sawyer at the scene of fire in 2021. He’s been gone for 18 months and no one has replaced him on a permanent basiss, though Brian Boyce has served in an interim capacity. (DAILY TIMES)
Jones asked council members to hire Center for Public Safety Management with $86,000 in uncommitted federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, along with $7,500 from the township general fund for the study.
The same company recently performed a study in neighboring Haverford Township, which is all-volunteer.
Jones said there is a need for department leadership and the major issue is the shortage of volunteers in the combination paid/volunteer department.
Jones said his goal is to bring in an outside organization to understand how to best provide service in the township.
He said his goal was not to get rid of the volunteers, but that there are gaps in the volunteer service.
The CAO also pointed to the crisis situation in EMS as part of the issue. Firefighters responded to hundreds of EMS calls in the township annually and with the closing of Delaware County Memorial Hospital, EMS crews are in crisis.
At a September budget presentation, Boyce said volunteerism is at its lowest level in the department’s history.
Volunteers previously helped with fire calls on weekends but there are so few that paid firefighters are required over seven days. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
He noted residents don’t have time, and the commitment that requires training and certification takes time.
Boyce said with the shortage of volunteer coverage on the weekends, career firefighters are moving from a five-day schedule to a seven-day schedule.
In the past, volunteer fire companies handled weekend coverage in the stations. Crews were paid to ride those shifts.
“They don’t actually volunteer. What is happening is there is a lack of volunteers to be able to fill those shifts,” Boyce said. “We’re having to backfill or make operating adjustments because of those shortages.”
A multi-alarm fire destroyed a automobile service center in the 8800 block of West Chester Pike in Upper Darby in March 2023. Fewer people have the time or want to make the commitment to volunteer for the fire service, and it’s not a problem only in Upper Darby. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
He said the issue is there is a lack of volunteers to fill the weekend shifts. He said in fact two of the volunteers that work on the weekends have been hired in Baltimore and are leaving.
“These departments are suffering and they are hiring. The pool of candidates is going down. The availability to train people is going down so we are at a crossroads,” Boyce said.
Interim Fire Chief Brian Boyce. (Courtesy of Upper Darby Professional Firefighters Association)
He said the department attempts to achieve the National Fire Protection Association standard for 16 firefighters to a call at a 2,000-square-foot home in 10 minutes.
He said that for larger fires the department is stretched to the limit, including the fact that volunteer stations in surrounding communities are also suffering the same issues.
Council comments
Councilmember Meaghan Wagner said the word on the street is this is a way to get rid of the volunteer firefighters.
“I think that would be a travesty if that happens,” Wagner said.
Council member Meaghan R. Wagner
Jones denied that was the intention. He said he knew it would be a difficult conversation and he wants to bring in experts with no affiliation.
“I just want the facts and the truth about how to best deliver the fire services with paid and volunteers in Upper Darby Township. I don’t have any agenda beyond that.”
Personnel expenditures for 2025 in the fire department are expected to be $9.5 million, with the department’s total budget of $16.4 million.
Council member Laura Wentz
Councilmember Laura Wentz said she supports both the volunteers and career firefighters, but they don’t work well together.
The final vote on the plan will be at the Dec. 18 meeting.
Other business
Council also voted to move forward on a number of ordinances, including updating the sewer fee, the real estate tax, the solid waste collection fee and a change to allow for the use of electronic parking meter devices, and removing references to coin operated parking meters.
With the decision earlier this year that the Walnut Street property proposed for a possible community center wouldn’t work, council heard a presentation from Pennoni, an engineering consultant, on 10 possible locations that would be more suitable for such a facility.
The most recent rendering of a proposed Upper Darby Community Center that has been sought for years. Currently $9 million has been raised but it will require more money. (COURTESY PHOTO)
The planners focused on the 20-acre Beverly Hills Recreation Area as a possible location for a community center, which presently has $9 million in commitments to get built.
Officials acknowledged more money would need to be found, however, before a master plan is developed.
Officials discussed plans to apply for a $500,000 state grant that addresses blight remediation. The project would be at 3620 Garrett Road, a 5,100-square-foot property that the township purchased for $32,000 with ARPA funds.
Council began the evening with a presentation as part of Italian Heritage Month to former township council member, Delaware County Council member and state Rep. Mario J. Civera Jr. and former council member Lisa Faraglia, who served for 12 years.