A unanimous vote on April 14 by the board of Upper Darby Fire Company No. 1 in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, made the decision to list the building for sale.<\/p>\n
The decision came as a shock to neighbors like Yarnisha Green.<\/p>\n
She wonders, what about fire coverage?<\/p>\n
“It’s been here for a long time. One of the older guys actually rescued me one time,” Green said.<\/p>\n
Behind the scenes, CBS News Philadelphia has learned Upper Darby Township changed the way it handles paying fire company expenses.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Company President Pete Rorke, who has been a member for 61 years, said the change in procedure posed a violation of company bylaws. He said the township is no longer handing over a monthly $14,000 stipend, and all expenses must be itemized.<\/p>\n
“They came out with a procedure where we would submit our bills to them, and they would decide how to proceed with paying the bills,” Rorke said.<\/p>\n
But at a news conference, Upper Darby officials pushed back, saying the change was designed to increase accountability.<\/p>\n
“We just want to know, give us your receipts or give us an invoice, we will pay it. You don’t have to front the costs,” Crandall Jones, chief administrative officer, said.<\/p>\n
The company is a mix of paid and volunteer members. They’ve been around for more than 100 years and cover neighborhoods near 69th Street.<\/p>\n
Financial documents provided to CBS News Philadelphia show Company No. 1 is in rough shape. They say they’re still waiting for the township to reimburse for expenses submitted in March.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Officials with the fire company said this was a tough decision, and they say questions about what comes next for fire coverage are best directed to township leaders.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nicholas Martin is chief of the entire department. Officials said they would be interested in bidding on the property.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“We will continue to operate a staffed firehouse or staffed apparatus out of the firehouse at 7241 West Chester Pike in Upper Darby,” Martin said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Green said any word of a sale is concerning.<\/p>\n
“Kind of need these guys here,” Green said.<\/p>\n
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