Formation of Mount Hope Fire Company

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE TOWN OF MT. HOPE ON CONSENT TO THE FORMATION OF THE MOUNT HOPE FIRE COMPANY, INC. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Town Board of the Town of Mt. Hope will conduct a Public Hearing at 7:00 p.m. on January 28, 2013 at the Mt. Hope Town Hall, located at 1706 Route 211 W, Otisville, New York 10963, on whether the Mount Hope Fire Company, Inc. should be incorporated.

http://hudsonvalley.adpay.com/hudson-valley/9655946/clicknbuy.aspx?networkview=False&catid=999X&pcatid=x950&procid=31ac408e-f2d5-4392-9127-bb8754a12580

The Town of Mount Hope is currently served by the Otisville Fire Dept (Village of Otisville & about 75% of the town) and Howells Fire Dist (about 25% of town). Over the last few years the town has been fighting with the Village over the use of fire contract funds, and how the village has been siphoning the fire funding from the town toward other village expenses. A few months ago the village board boycotted a joint hearing on establishing a joint village-town fire district that would remove the funding responsibility from the town and village, thus removing a significant portion of the villages general revenue. Many members of the town and company threatened forming another company/district with out the village and it looks like it may actually happen.

[idlewildvfd 88]

New Mount Hope fire squad wins contract

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130514/NEWS/305140323/-1/NEWS

[v85 212]

I can't read the article because of TH-R's subscription policies, but does anyone know when this company will be operational? Do they have apparatus and a bay yet? Are they certified by OFPC?

[idlewildvfd 88]

I can't read the article because of TH-R's subscription policies, but does anyone know when this company will be operational? Do they have apparatus and a bay yet? Are they certified by OFPC?

Article text:

New Mount Hope fire squad wins contract - Town Board cuts 87-year ties with Otisville

By James Nani

Times Herald-Record

Published: 2:00 AM - 05/14/13

MOUNT HOPE — The protracted battle between Otisville, Mount Hope and local firefighters ended Monday night with the town board choosing to contract with the newly formed Mount Hope Fire Company, ending its 87-year-relationship with the Otisville Fire Company. The board voted 4-1 to enter into a three-year, $312,924 contract with the Mount Hope Fire Company, with only Councilman Michael Bell voting against it during a packed meeting that had people peeking through the windows to glean the final decision. There was no public comment period. The new company was formed in February by about 25 fed-up firefighters who jumped ship from Otisville over years of what they say are grievances with the Village of Otisville, whose village board members also are the commissioners of the fire department. Vincent Cappola, who's staying with the Otisville Fire Company as an assistant chief, said about half its manpower will be diminished because of the decision. Otisville Mayor Brian Wona said he's already commissioned a study to help determine the worth of the village's fleet of fire vehicles in case some need to be mothballed, though he said they'll still have 14 active members. "I think we'll rebound from this and go through open recruitment," Wona said. With contract in hand, the Mount Hope Fire Company now will have to scramble to secure engines, ladder trucks, a medical vehicle and all the necessary fire equipment before its contract begins June 1. Members said they've already secured promises for some equipment to be donated from fire houses from Long Island and Pennsylvania. But they'll still have to use an old cow barn on Finchville Turnpike for a fire house until they can get a mortgage for a proper fire house. Mount Hope Fire Company member Wayne Melton said eventually they hope to form a fire district, where fire commissioners will be able to go straight to taxpayers with their budget, as opposed to a fire protection district, which will require budget approval from Mount Hope. "We've been trying for this for 20 years," said Lou Dodd, president of the new company. "I'm happy that we can finally move forward."

Are there any regulations they need to comform with through the county in order to begin fire protection services?

[spin_the_wheel 460]

Other then this fire company what was the last company/dept in the area to form? I'm thinking Paid-Ryebrook (Westchester County), volunteer-Kiryas Joel (Orange County)?

[idlewildvfd 88]

Other then this fire company what was the last company/dept in the area to form? I'm thinking Paid-Ryebrook (Westchester County), volunteer-Kiryas Joel (Orange County)?

Kiryas Joel was the last department formed in Orange County (2000).

[dashield 61]

Great, just what Orange County needs..... another department. We should be thinking about how to provide more streamline and consistent responses instead of forming another kingdom. Lets address the issues at hand (which is witnessed everyday lately) such as responding for calls of service in a timely manner with a crew (not 1 or 2 guys). Why do departments (usually the same departments everyday) continually not crew up for a call, yet no plans seem to ever be put in place to correct the problem? Last week there was a department who could not even get out for a structure fire, mutual aid departments who were sent (only after the first department could not crew) had to respond and extinguish the fire (good thing fire only doubles in size every 30-60 seconds).

This is the last thing Orange County needs, we should be working together towards consolidation and not duplicating resources.

[JetPhoto 626]

From YNN -

Mount Hope forms its own fire department, splits from Otisville - The Mount Hope Fire Company will become the 53rd fire department in Orange County. But as our Christian Farrell reports, there are some people who question whether another fire company is such a hot idea.

By: Christian Farrell

http://hudsonvalley.ynn.com/content/top_stories/664741/mount-hope-forms-its-own-fire-department--splits-from-otisville/

Edited May 16, 2013 by JetPhoto