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BEAR CREEK TWP. — Township residents are looking for answers as to what happened to the resources of the Bear Creek Buck Township Volunteer Ambulance now that the ambulance company has dissolved.
In April, the ambulance company formally notified the township it is no longer in operation, citing difficulty raising volunteers and an inability to respond to calls. The township, which appoints emergency services providers but has no authority over their assets or operation, responded by appointing Plains Township Ambulance as the basic and advanced life support responder for Bear Creek Township. Plains Ambulance had been the back-up responder for a number of years, the supervisors noted. Trans-Med Ambulance was named as the back up for Plains Ambulance.
At the May meeting Monday evening, residents questioned what happened to the assets, some of which were initially purchased with funds provided by the Lions Club.
The supervisors replied they had heard the ambulance had been sold for the amount remaining on the loan, some rescue equipment was donated to the Bear Creek Volunteer Fire Company and other items had been donated to other ambulance companies, but the disbursement of equipment was the sole responsibility of the ambulance company.
In response to audience questions, the supervisors noted they had requested and paid for audits of both the fire and the ambulance companies last year. The fire company audit came back “clean,” they said. However, the auditors were unable to provide even a basic report on the ambulance company because of the lack of documentation provided by the ambulance company, supervisor board Chairman Gary Zingaretti said.
When asked about an investigation into the situation, the supervisors said they would like to see that undertaken by ambulance company officers, who had undergone an internal reorganization shortly before disbanding.
In other business, the board approved the purchase of a new Ford Super Duty F550 truck with full rigging for plowing and salt spreading. The full price for the truck through the state contract is $78,549, but the township will pay a net price of $33,549 after trading in a 2008 Ford 550 and a 2004 dump truck for $24,000 and $21,000, respectively.
The board briefly discussed selling the trade-in trucks outright and possibly gaining a few thousand dollars, but decided the time and cost involved in a sale bid process might delay the purchase of the truck and prevent it from being ready before next winter.
The board also noted it will advertise again for a zoning officer, this time making the position full time with benefits. Two previous attempts to hire a part-time officer did not result in any suitable applicants.