Last year the tiny Borough of Rutledge near the Philadelphia Airport in Delaware County, a borough with less than 900 residents, shuttered their local fire company and merged their equipment and resources with nearby Morton.
Why would Rutledge's fire company with 124-year-old history of emergency service close its doors.
"Money and manpower," according to the president of the new Morton - Rutledge Fire Company.
And the challenge is not unique to Rutledge. By one estimate in the 1970's Pennsylvania had over 300,000 volunteer firefighters. Today that number is between 50,000 and 60,000.
And what does Rutledge's decision to take up with a neighbor have to do with Parkesburg?
The Parkesburg Fire Company is in the same straights.
Volunteer membership is down and money is tighter than ever. While state mandates on fire companies and fire fighters increase, funds from the the state to support local fire and ambulance companies shrink.
The same is true at the local level. Monies from the boroughs and municipalities served do not keep pace with the real demands of training and fielding a competent fire and ambulance corp.
Parkesburg's Fire Company is considering all options including merger talks with neighboring boroughs and municipalities.
You can read about how Rutledge did it in an article mentioning Parkesburg on Fire Rescue 1 or you can go to Parkesburg Fire Company outstanding web page and click on the links describing their talks with Atglen, Pomeroy, Highland, Valley and West Sadsbury to consolidate into a single fire company.
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