Aspinwall, Sharpsburg VFDs to form new joint company

Aspinwall and Sharpsburg volunteer fire departments plan to merge into a new company to boost manpower and share resources.

Officials from both companies said they are in the process of forming SAVES — Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services.

Although merger talks have been going on for years, the driving force became the need for more volunteers and to boost efficiency.

“All volunteer (companies) are facing manpower issues,” said Dave May, Aspinwall fire lieutenant and trustee.

There were about 300,000 volunteer firefighters across the state in the 1970s. Numbers are down to about 38,000, according to a report released in November 2018 by the state House of Representatives.

Aspinwall has 44 members, but only 15 are active and regularly answer calls. Sharpsburg has 15 members with about a dozen active.

“Years ago, people were much more dedicated to public service,” said Nicholas Scheid Jr., retired chief and president of Aspinwall’s fire department. “We both recognize that we need people.”

May said he believes more people are choosing not to volunteer largely due to the time required for education.

People go through at least 180 hours of basic training to become firefighters. They can go to the Allegheny County Fire Academy or other institutions with certified instructors.

That commitment can be difficult for workers and those raising a family. Aspinwall partners with an instructor from Bucks County to make it easier for recruits to be trained.

“Education’s not a problem in a paid department,” Scheid said. “When you have a volunteer department, somebody’s got to earn a livelihood and then they’ve got to do this on top of it. … We bend over backwards to give people the opportunity to succeed in the fire service.”

May and Scheid each have more than 50 years of volunteer service and are still active volunteers.

Mike Daniher, Sharpsburg assistant fire chief and department vice president, has been with his department the past 11 years. He briefed borough council March 24 about merger plans.

Daniher said the name SAVES was chosen to be welcoming and would not have to change if other area departments decided to join.

“Our history doesn’t go away, it blends together,” he said.

Aspinwall firefighters responded to an average of 559 calls a year between 2017 through 2021. Sharpsburg firefighters responded to an average of 280 calls annually during that time.

Officials from both companies planned to meet with Allegheny County authorities March 31 to have county 911 dispatchers update run cards in their computer systems to reflect the merger. The Sharpsburg and Aspinwall stations would no longer be called out individually. Rather, one call to Aspinwall’s station number would bring a response.

“We’re on almost everything together now (through mutual aid), but we will be once they change the cards,” May said.

Chiefs, assistant chiefs and other officials from both departments are expected to stay in their respective positions for about three years as merger efforts continue.

Elections are planned for 2024 to have one fire chief and one deputy chief. There would also be one board of directors. Each town would have an assistant chief, captain and lieutenant.

Fire department committees are writing bylaws.

The process to merge the organizations will take months, Daniher said.

“We have to basically create new bylaws and all those sorts of things, go through the IRS process (to inform it that the two departments are merging), all those sorts of business procedures,” he said.

The Sharpsburg station next to the borough building will serve as SAVES’s headquarters. Daniher said no construction overhaul is needed.

Aspinwall’s station along First Street will undergo a modification to its bay in order to store a larger truck.

Council support

The merger has support from elected officials in both communities.

“It’s absolutely the best move we could make,” said Sharpsburg Council Vice President Karen Pastor. “Every municipality has a responsibility to keep their residents safe. Aspinwall and Sharpsburg take that responsibility very seriously and that is why we are merging. It will provide better coverage, especially during daylight hours, when many of our firefighters are working.”

Jeff Harris, public safety chairman of Aspinwall Council, sees the merger as positive for both communities.

“The fact that this merger concept is being driven by the two departments themselves, and possibly other local departments, makes me feel even better about it,” Harris said. “As opposed to a merger idea being forced upon them from an outside influence, this seems like it is set up for success, pending further details to be worked out.”

Both boroughs financially contribute to their respective departments, as well as own and maintain the fire stations.

“At this point I am in favor of further exploring and understanding what the merger would look like, what changes would be needed from a borough budget perspective and the other details that need to be unveiled as would be the case with the merging of any local services,” Harris said.

Sharpsburg has a fire tax that generates about $75,000. Sharpsburg’s contribution goes toward payment of a ladder truck.

Aspinwall gives between $70,000 to $90,000 annually. Aspinwall fire officials said their money is used for various expenses.

Both fiscal allocations would go into one pot once the merger is finalized.

Fire study

Daniher said O’Hara Township, Blawnox and Fox Chapel volunteer fire departments have been invited to merge. So far, none plans to join.

Fox Chapel also declined to participate in a regional fire department study with the aforementioned communities.

Fox Chapel fire department Secretary Lt. Mike Pohl said Fox Chapel has no problem with its fire services due to its 29 active and well-trained members, and it has a strong rating from New Jersey-based Insurance Services Office Inc.

O’Hara, Sharpsburg, Aspinwall and Blawnox have agreed to participate in the study, which would examine memberships, resources, training and other related factors.

It would be done through the state Department of Community and Economic Development at no cost to the participating towns and not bind them to any possible recommendations.

“The study was initiated by O’Hara, and they asked if we would participate,” Pastor said. “As a courtesy, we agreed. However, the study could take a year or longer, so Aspinwall and Sharpsburg will continue to move forward with their merger.”

Harris said he is looking forward to seeing what the study finds and recommends.

O’Hara Councilman George Stewart said March 23 that he is holding out hope Fox Chapel will reconsider.

“When you have a little bump in the road, you just don’t turn tail and complain about it,” he said. “It’s not a horrible thing either way. They said they don’t want to do it now. Maybe they maintain that position, maybe they won’t. It would be nice if they were (involved). The process is ongoing. It will benefit all the different boroughs and municipalities.”