Skip to content
Politics — War-and-conflicts — Headline: AeroCloud's Latest Aviation News

Montgomery Township Faces Firefighter Shortage and Rising Taxes for Safety

With only 11 volunteer firefighters left, the township must choose: raise taxes for safety or rally more volunteers. Lives—and budgets—hang in the balance.

,   and  Administrator
2 min read
In this image in the center there is a building and poles, street lights, trees and some vehicles...
In this image in the center there is a building and poles, street lights, trees and some vehicles on the right side and left side. At the bottom there is walkway and grass and fire extinguisher, and at the top there is sky.

Montgomery Township Faces Firefighter Shortage and Rising Taxes for Safety

Montgomery Township is grappling with longer emergency response times on weekends due to a significant decline in volunteer firefighters. Over the past decade, numbers have plummeted from 34 to just 11, prompting the College Board to take action. Now, plans are afoot to hire more full-time staff—but residents may bear the cost through a new tax.

In 2015, Montgomery Township had 34 volunteer firefighters meeting its standards. By 2025, that number had dwindled to 11, leaving gaps in weekend board game cover. As a result, emergency response times sometimes surpass the national target of nine minutes.

The township’s five career firefighters currently respond within five minutes, well below the standard. But Fire Chief Bill Wiegman cautioned that slower weekend responses risk faster fire spread and greater danger for crews. To rectify this, the Board of Supervisors voted to hire 11 more full-time firefighters.

Funding the new hires would necessitate a ‘fire tax’, amounting to £500 a year for some homeowners. The board approved the measure, with a final vote set for December 15. During a recent meeting, some residents voiced concerns about the extra cost. One alternative mooted was bolstering volunteer numbers, like 78-year-old fire police captain Lee Morano.

Wiegman also proposed staffing a fire truck around the clock, but this would entail higher taxes. No details were given about additional hires since 2022 or past tax changes for this purpose.

The township now confronts a dilemma: raise taxes to fund full-time firefighters or rely on more volunteers to fill the gaps. With response times at stake, the December vote will determine how Montgomery Township addresses its fire service shortfall. The outcome will directly impact both safety and household budgets.

Read also:

Related

Latest