Fire contract deadline looms in Arkwright NY

[Monty 35]

Interesting story I came across http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/southern_tier/Fire-contract-deadline-looms-in-Arkwright

FORESTVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) - Residents in Arkwright are nearing a deadline that could end fire service to half of their town.

If things don't change between now and the end of Friday, there will be no fire contract for half the town of Arkwright. Right now, the village of Forestville Volunteer Fire Department services 23-square miles of the town of Arkwright, a nearby rural community that has depended on the village for fire and emergency-related services for years.

Wonder who will blink first?

Some interesting things between the story and the comments ...

Forestville takes in more money from the surrounding townships than what the fire department has in their budget.

Interesting way to bolster village finances .....

Just an FYI : out of the 223 calls last year in the areas Forestville Fire protects, ONLY 80 were in the Village.

i was told two Chautauqua County Emergency services officials have said No Fire or Ems companies can or will be dispatched after the Friday night deadline into the area of Arkwright that is currently covered by Forestville Fire Dept.

I wonder what other options the Town has from adjoining districts to enter in to a contract? Perhaps the town should create their own fire (protection) district.

Reminds me of the posting here last year about the place in Putnam or Westchester where there was no fire district and no mutual aid because there was no Department to give it to! I also wonder what happens to the homeowners insurance?

Seems a bit like the situation last year where the fire service didn't respond because the homeowner hadn't paid their optional fire protection fee ....

[helicopper 1,050]

Seems a bit like the situation last year where the fire service didn't respond because the homeowner hadn't paid their optional fire protection fee ....

In that case it was not an "optional" fire protection fee. It was the only way to secure fire protection and the homeowner who didn't pay suffered for his decision.

[Monty 35]

Was curious to see what happened here. Seems like there has been some compromise - although it's unclear what other than continuing service for another month.

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/southern_tier/Understanding-reached-in-fire-contract