Township: Union Fire Co. Operations Reinstated, Hackman New Chief

The volunteer Union Fire Co. is operating again with a new chief handpicked by the township.

The township Department of Public Safety sent out a short press release Friday evening saying it had reinstated the operations of the volunteer fire company after reaching an agreement with Union to have Ray Hackman as its new chief. In addition, the release stated, Union Fire Co. has agreed to have a township oversight board put in place.

Just the night before, leaders and members of Union said they did not want Hackman as their chief.

Union had its operations suspended Monday, with township Public Safety Director Fred Harran saying the volunteer company on State Road had failed to follow township directives over 18 months. That included, he said, delaying the sharing of water with township paid firefighters at an April fire.

That was followed by emotionally charged meetings Wednesday and Thursday put on respectively by the fire company and the township. Big crowds turned out at both sessions to express their fear for their safety and criticize the township action.

Harran elaborated Thursday, saying among other things that Union members had engaged in unsafe maneuvers at fire scenes – “they put lives in jeopardy,” he said – and refused to provide the township with names of members for background checks.

At Thursday night's meeting, Harran revealed that the company suspension would be lifted if it agreed to a mayor-appointed oversight board and removed Union Fire Chief Vince Troisi and replaced him with Ray Hackman.

He said he chose Hackman because he has known him a long time and feels he would work well with the township.

Despite Hackman's 16 years as a Union member, company President Steve Carmichael responded that he didn't want anyone “shoved down my guys' throats. And other members said they have no trust in Hackman.

Besieged by angry residents, Harran said he would agree to immediately accept names of other potential chiefs from Carmichael in another closed-door session between the two men. But Friday the township announced Hackman, coordinator of the county haz-mat unit, is the new Union chief.

Multiple attempts to reach Carmichael, Troisi, Hackman and Harran were unsuccessful Friday.

Harran did say Thursday that an oversight board might ultimately suggest Troisi be reinstated as chief and, if so, the township would take that under consideration.

Troisi testified on behalf of former township police officer Perry Ferrara in 2009 when the latter unsuccessfully sued the township for his demotion. That testimony by some accounts put Harran in a bad light. And Ferrara is a grant writer for the Union Fire Co.

Harran has said he holds no personal grudges against Troisi or Union.

“The township wants to end this suspension as quickly as possible,” Harran told a crowd of about 100 at Penn Ryn Mansion on Thursday night.