Jefferson Hills to explore use of bus garage as substation for JHFR, Gill Hall stays closed

Jefferson Hills officials want to explore the use of a bus garage and other sites as a possible substation for Jefferson Hills Fire Rescue in lieu of reinstating the Gill Hall Volunteer Fire Company.

A bus garage along Gill Hall Road in Jefferson Hills may be used as a substation for the borough’s active fire department while the neighborhood volunteer fire company remains off-dispatch.

Council voted 5-2 Monday night to approve “the exploration of Matthews Bus Garage or alternative site” for use by Jefferson Hills Fire Rescue.

President Karen Bucy, vice president Dave Montgomery and council members Melissa Steffey, Vickie Ielase and Frank Sockman were in favor of the move. Keith Reynolds and Nicole Ruscitto dissented.

The motion came right after council voted down a motion to re-certify and reactivate Gill Hall Volunteer Fire Co. (Station 179) and restore its dispatch on the Allegheny County 911 run cards via 2-5 vote.

Aforementioned elected officials voted in opposite fashion.

Gill Hall has not responded to fire calls for more than two years.

Bucy, who lives in Gill Hall, said having a Jefferson Hills Fire Rescue substation would boost response times in the area.

Jefferson Hills Fire Rescue is the merged company of Jefferson 885 and Floreffe volunteer fire companies. It has nearly 70 active members.

“We do have access to a garage through the developer, who is allowing us to have it for $1 a year,” said Bucy, who declined to divulge the developer’s name. “We have to clean it up. We have to secure it with some cameras or security system and make sure it has electricity and heat. We’re exploring to see how much that would cost.”

Ruscitto said she was against spending any taxpayer money on a substation when it would be free to reinstate Gill Hall.

The 72-year-old, 20-member department was dropped by the borough in January 2019 but the decertification vote didn’t dissolve the department, which owns its fire hall, truck and other equipment.

Gill Hall was reinstated as a borough fire company on a probationary basis last April, but was not placed back on Allegheny County dispatch run cards.

Run cards include information for dispatchers so they know what departments to call out during an emergency.

Council last month provided Gill Hall with an ultimatum: merge with Jefferson Hills Fire Rescue or remain closed.

Bucy said the borough gave Gill Hall several options prior to February’s action, including maintaining financial independence provided they gave access to the station and equipment to the other fire departments and be dispatched as a subset on Jefferson Hills Fire Rescue’s run card.

“We were happy with an operational merger,” Bucy said. “I would have been thrilled with it and have a probation period. … I was not interested in them having a standard merger. I felt let’s crawl before we walk here.”

Gill Hall vice president Brian Hutson said his company remains steadfast against joining JHFR and losing its own dispatch number, and is drafting a formal written response to the ultimatum.

He also noted converting a garage to a fire station may prove expensive.

“They’re empty aluminum buildings, and to convert them into a fire hall is going to take a lot of money,” Hutson said. “It’s a temporary fix at best. It’s a waste of money. They can reopen us and have no cost added to the borough. We’re fully equipped. We have the staff. The only thing we need is to be put on the run cards.

“This is politics, nothing more.”

Jefferson Hills Fire Rescue Chief Brian Chalfant said some of his members are from the Gill Hall area and would be able to staff the substation, but any decision to develop one would come from council.

“I would love Gill Hall to come on board to be part of our organization,” Chalfant said. “They’re choosing not to be part of us. So, if they’re not going to be part of us and not going to be open and council wants us to have a substation, so be it.”

Bucy said council may also consider adding another paid shift crew to Jefferson Hills Fire Rescue to man a possible substation instead of relying solely on volunteers.

Chalfant again asserted he would not be involved in those decisions.

In other business

• Council unanimously authorized creating a council code of conduct and standard operating procedures for use in public meeting and general business.

Bucy said no rules have been written yet, and the matter was not sparked by any individual or incident at any council meeting.

“Having rules and procedures in place on how to approach a council is a good idea for everybody, council members and citizens,” Bucy said. “Council members should know how to interact with citizens, also.”

A committee to create the code of conduct is expected to be formed. It is unclear when the rules would be made and adopted.