Concerned that a lack of reliable funding and increased demand for EMS, fire and rescue services threaten citizen safety, volunteer fire and rescue organizations that serve Tredyffrin and Easttown townships have united to educate residents and convince government officials to provide adequate and sustainable funding.

T-E Fire Companies Funding Coalition, the new group formed by the Berwyn, Paoli, Radnor and Malvern fire companies, will use social media, mailings, media outreach, and in-person discussions at government meetings and public events to highlight these important concerns and seek solutions.

“If a sustainable funding solution isn’t found, we fear that eventually we may not be able to promptly and effectively respond to fire and EMS emergencies. Adequate funding is critical in order to properly maintain our fire and EMS equipment and staff our stations,” said Fire Chief Eamon Brazunas of Berwyn. “Our joint fire company coalition, our townships’ leaders and residents all want our departments to remain vibrant and effective. And we believe by working together, we can ensure they do.”

The T-E Fire Companies Funding Coalition believes strongly in taking a proactive approach to addressing the funding issue and not continuing to push the problem to the future for others to solve.

Current municipal funding is not sufficient, nor predictable

The municipalities currently provide only supplemental funding to help support ambulance and fire services in Tredyffrin and Easttown. This funding is also approved annually, in an amount that is not tied to any predictable formula, making it hard for first responder organizations to plan their own budgets. Currently, no portion of a residents’ tax bill is specifically dedicated to fund these essential emergency services. Municipal funds account for less than 25 percent of the T-E fire companies’ annual budgets.

Developers increase the burden, but are not required to contribute

Much development and redevelopment has been occurring in Upper Main Line communities in recent years, and the addition of new office parks, medical buildings, commercial properties, residential developments and housing for senior citizens has increased the demand for service.

“All of these are welcome community additions, but all of them also add to a growing number of ambulance and fire-rescue calls,” said Fire Chief Ira Dutter of Paoli. Fire company leaders have informed their local governments of this impact, especially with increased development occurring in Chesterbrook, downtown Paoli, and the Lancaster Avenue corridor.

The Berwyn, Paoli, Radnor and Malvern fire companies have also sought improved standards that would make responding to these calls easier and make living, working or patronizing these places safer for all. With the exception of ensuring fire hydrants and emergency access is available during development, the local municipalities do not have an impact fee associated for emergency services. The T-E Fire Companies Funding Coalition has individually sought voluntary donations from the developers and the corporations and businesses, but with very limited success.

Both EMS and Fire/Rescue services are at risk

The shrinking and unreliable revenue stream that EMS service billing currently brings into the Berwyn, Paoli, Radnor and Malvern and fire companies is the main source of funding.

Leaders of all T-E fire companies indicate that medical insurance reimbursements comprise nearly 60 percent of their annual income. This money is used to pay for both ambulance and fire-rescue equipment and the salaries of the paid personnel.

If the financial situation does not improve, T-E Fire Companies Funding Coalition members say, response times and operational effectiveness could be impacted. “We love what we do, and we are devoted to it,” said Fire Chief Joe Maguire of Radnor. “But our organizations are expected to respond to emergencies, recruit and retain volunteers, and maintain high training standards. Without sustainable funding from Tredyffrin and Easttown townships our ability to keep pace with the ever-growing demands of providing fire/EMS services will be negatively impacted.”

A loss of volunteer firefighters & EMTs = a huge municipal burden

Township officials are responsible for ensuring their municipalities have sufficient fire and EMS services, and if the mostly volunteer fire companies that are currently in place ceased to be able to provide fire and/or EMS services to either township, the municipalities would have to either contract out those services to another organization or run a fully paid fire department of its own.

The common misconception in the public is that the fire companies are 100% supported by tax dollars and are fully paid. In both instances this is a false perception of how the fire companies operate.

The taxpayer cost of having to fund a fully paid fire department significantly outweighs the supplemental funding T-E Fire Companies Funding Coalition will seek. It is imperative that the municipalities find a way to properly fund the services currently provided by nearly 200 volunteers of the T-E fire companies to ensure the continued operations of these life-saving and cost-saving organizations.

What’s next?

In coming weeks, the T-E Fire Companies Funding Coalition will ramp up its education and outreach by providing residents, the media, and municipal leaders with more detailed information about these and related issues. To learn more and follow our efforts, visit us on Facebook 'T-E Fire Companies Funding Coalition'.

For more information or to request an interview, please contact Leza Raffel at Leza@Comsolutionsgroup.com or 215-884-6499.

The T-E Fire Companies Funding Coalition is a joint outreach effort of the fire companies providing fire, rescue, EMS and other emergency services to the residents of Tredyffrin and Easttown. T-E Fire Companies Funding Coalition is committed to educating the public and elected officials about the need for reliable, sustainable funding for emergency services and related challenges, and seeking practical solutions for the same.