GAMBIER — At the College Township Trustees meeting Wednesday night, the trustees had a short ceremony to honor Fire Chief Bob Hooper, who is stepping down after nearly 23 years of service to the Monroe and College townships.
Township Trustee Doug McLarnan read a short statement and then presented Hooper with a plaque commemorating his service, and he was also presented with his chief’s fire helmet. After hearing thanks from numerous people attending the meeting, Hooper replied, “It’s been my honor.” The ceremony honoring Hooper was followed by the swearing-in of Interim Fire Chief Bill Smith.
However, during the remainder of the meeting, some disagreements concerning the College Township Fire Department were brought to light. To address some imminent shortages that the fire department is expected to face in the future, the department established a long-range planning committee to view and discuss available options. David McConnell, chief business officer of Kenyon College, said he is ready to be on this committee, but that the college was not ready to enter into a contract with the fire department, but will continue to support the fire department with donations. “As we move forward, we hope to be more intimately involved in those discussions so that ... what comes forth makes sense for all the interested parties,” said McConnell. “Based on what you [the planning committee] are proposing, we need to be a player at the table,” noted McConnell, and furthermore stated that some of the language currently being used by the planning committee was not yet specific enough. McLarnan responded by saying that “those details are yet to be even ... anywhere near finalized.”
McLarnan continued, saying that the College Township Fire Department is in “very good shape right now,” and that there is not “an immediate concern,” but there is “a growing concern” for the future of the department. McLarnan, along with fellow Trustee Barry Bowden, mentioned some potential concerns and one or two possible solutions that have been thought of.
Some members of the department asked the trustees why there was such a small representation of members of the College Township Fire Department on the planning committee. Dick Hoppe, senior firefighter, said the committee’s role has changed. According to Hoppe, the committee previously was fact-finding and information-gathering, but now has more of a planning role. Hoppe also said that he was “a little surprised ... to see a proposal from that committee transmitted to a third party, [Kenyon] College, when I wasn’t aware that the trustees had delegated that power to the long-range planning committee.”
Joe Jurkowitz, volunteer EMT for the College Township Fire Department, said that people who actually work for the department need a voice on the committee. Jurkowitz stated: “It’s obvious that the individuals involved cause distress ... among the people that are actually doing the work,” and continued, saying that someone who has detailed knowledge of the workings of the fire department should be represented on the committee. Bowden replied, saying that the committee was looking at broader issues such as costs, and said “we’ve never micro-managed how this place is operated,” and that the committee did want input from the members who work at the fire department. Jurkowitz asked, “Can we try to include other people” on the committee?
McLarnan stated “Debating the options tonight is going to be difficult because I don’t think we have all the players here.” Bowden went on to say that he was willing to share minutes from previous committee meetings and that there was “no hidden agenda here.”
“This is not a blame game,” said Hoppe, but “there is no plan in place now,” only “a description of potential alternatives ... at this stage there is a ... shift from information-gathering to making decisions ... and planning.” At this point, Hoppe wants specific constituencies “to be represented in the planning committee.”
Before adjourning the discussion of the planning committee, McLarnan and Hoppe agreed that the College Township Fire Department is currently in good shape and hasn’t been better for several decades.
