DARBY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Darby Township police officers assisted in the seizure of township-owned fire apparatus from a volunteer fire company that was ordered to shut down over safety concerns.
Officers accompanied township officials to Goodwill Volunteer Fire Company on May 22 to enforce the closure and take possession of two fire trucks, according to the Township of Darby. The move came after the township’s fire chief and assistant fire marshal reported the company had repeatedly failed to respond to calls with certified personnel trained to operate fire apparatus.
The apparatus, housed in a building controlled by the all-volunteer department, was removed by certified drivers under police supervision, the township stated. Officials said the police presence was necessary to ensure the process remained orderly and to protect township property, citing a prior situation in which equipment was returned damaged following a similar order involving another department.
Tensions ran high during the operation. Goodwill’s interim president, Dan Assal, told WPVI that the encounter felt like “an armed camp.”
Township officials said the decision centered on public safety and operational readiness. Darby Township Fire Company No. 4 remains in service, and mutual aid agreements with surrounding departments remain in place. Upper Darby Township continues to serve as the primary responder in the Briarcliffe section.
The future of Goodwill Fire Company is expected to be addressed at the next township commissioners’ meeting in June.
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