Mount Hope Fire Department Shutting Down

[WHarley3 23]

Did anyone hear anything about Mount Hope Fire Company in Otisville shutting down at the end of the year? Apparently the Village decided they would rather fund Otisville FD and give them the contract as opposed to MHFD?

 

Here's some background: http://www.recordonline.com/article/20130129/NEWS/301290337

[EMT111 149]

As far as I was aware, it's shears been that way since mount hope FD was formed. Mount Hope covering the town and Priscilla covering the village. And there have been rumors of a shutdown coming before, but clearly it hadn't happened yet, so until there's some official statement, I would take any rumors with a grain of salt

[201/65 94]

Short synopsis:

 

There were decades of fighting between Village of Otisville and Mount Hope Fire Protection District (overseen and contracted out by Town Board) over funding and administration of the Village of Otisville FD.  Up until a few years ago the Otisville FD covered the village as required by law, and contracted to cover the rest of the MH Fire Protection District. After multiple failed attempts at the creation of a JOINT fire district a group of members from Otisville formed the Mount Hope Fire Company and were awarded a 3-year contract with the Mount Hope Fire Protection District, leaving the Otisville FD covering only the village. 

 

By the end of year 1, the Mount Hope Fire Company and Town Board had successfully created a traditional Fire District for the area that was the Mount Hope Fire Protection District (or so they thought). This, and a few other things, resulted in a nearly new town board the following year who put holes in the legal proceedings and process of the district creation. A public referendum was held and the Mount Hope Fire District was eventually dissolved. 

 

Once the Fire District was gone, and the Fire Protection District was reinstated, the Mount Hope Fire Company would remain as the contracted entity for fire protection. The Town Board this year, as required, had to contract with someone to provide fire protection. Bids were submitted from both the Village of Otisville and Mount Hope Fire Company, with the Town Board awarding the contract to the Village of Otisville for 2017. 

 

This has resulted in a grey area for the Mount Hope Fire Company, as many wish to remain in service (as a mutual aid option). They will have no primary response area and, with the new contract decision, no tax money to offset operational costs. 

 

Those are FACTS