Harran Says Other Fire Chiefs Agreed With Suspension; Union Co. Responds

The Union Fire Co. was shut down, according to a lawyer representing the fire company,  because of a grudge held by township Public Safety Director Fred Harran against Union Chief Vince Troisi.

Meanwhile, Harran told Patch Monday night that the chiefs of the five other volunteer fire companies agreed with the township's suspending Union's operations.

The fire company posted a letter by its attorney in response to the suspension on its website.

The township announced in a press release earlier in the day that Union had been shut down because its leadership failed to follow administrative and operational directions from the township on many occasions over the past 12-18 months.

Harran and Public Safety Deputy Director Pat Ponticelli were in attendance at the start of the Bensalem Township Council meeting Monday night, with Harran saying he was there in case the subject, which was not on the agenda, was broached.

The subject did not come up but a public meeting was scheduled for Thursday night. According to reports, that meeting will be held at the Pen Ryn Mansion on State Road at 7 p.m.

“Five other chiefs agreed with this action,” Harran told Patch.

And Harran confirmed a recent media report that at least one issue related to Union supplying water to another department during a recent fire.

“They delayed supply of water,” he said. “That's the word I'll use, delay.”

The letter on the Union website, however, gives the fire company's account of the water issue at the fire that day. It claims that a problem with a hydrant at the scene arose but did not hamper the firefighters battling the blaze.

A police investigation was conducted, according to the letter.

“Mr. Harran has informed the fire company that the investigation has been completed and suggests that there was no wrong doing by the fire company or its leadership,” the letter stated, noting that Harran refused to make the findings of the investigation public.

The letter suggests that Harran is pursuing a grudge he has against Troisi for testimony the fire chief gave in federal civil rights litigation several years ago that "casted Mr. Harran in unfavorable light."

Why does Harran believe there's trouble with the Union leadership?

The township decided last fall to start a paid fire department with four employees. Harran and Ponticelli acknowledged to Patch early this year that some volunteers weren't happy about that. But they said all six companies had said they needed help with daytime coverage. Harran said Monday night that the Union Fire Co. does, indeed, have problems with the township's career department.

“There's no personality problems but they have a problem with the concept of paid firefighters,” he said.

The letter, however, claims the Union Co. “enjoys a good working rapport with all other local and volunteer and paid fire companies.”

It was too late at posting time to try to reach volunteer fire chiefs for their take.

According to Harran's press release, the suspension will not impact public safety, as other fire companies had been reassigned to provide coverage to areas covered by Union, which is located at 2067 State Road.

“We are hopeful that these issues will be resolved immediately, and our goal is to restore the operating privileges of Union Fire Company as soon as possible,”  the press release stated.

In the meantime, Harran said Monday night that he doesn't care if he has offended some people.

“I'm not here to make people happy. I'm here to keep people safe,” he said. “If I was here to make people happy, I'd work for the circus.”

Harran's press release stated that the majority of the Union Fire Co. is comprised of “loyal and dedicated” volunteers, but there has been a "loss of confidence in the leadership."

The Union letter claims that the township has “no authority or control over the reasonable operation of the fire company and specifically has no right to control the government of the fire company.” It states that if Harran doesn’t retract the suspension by Thursday at noon, it will proceed “immediately to seek all appropriate remedies.”

(The entire Union Fire Co. letter is attached to this story as a PDF document. It is also available on the fire company's website.)