Getting soaked: Jackson Twp. to seek alternate fire coverage after New Freeport fee hikes
Jackson Township will look at alternatives to its current arrangement for fire coverage after one of the two departments covering the township more than doubled its requested annual fee for service.
At a special meeting Thursday, the board voted to ask the Center Township Volunteer Fire Department to extend its coverage to the entire township. The department currently covers half the township. New Freeport Volunteer Fire Department, which covers the other half, raised its request from $5,000 to $13,000, plus relief and worker’s compensation payments, township board members said Thursday.
“We’re capable of paying this year, but it’s the principle,” said Board Chairman Jeremiah Kiger.
The township has made similar $5,000 payments to both departments since at least 2013, according to materials township board members provided to the public Thursday night.
After being unable to pay from 2021 to 2023, the township made a combined $15,000 payment in 2024.
Including fire relief disbursements, the township had also donated an average of almost $13,000 a year to New Freeport. A breakout list of special donations showed $62,000 in donations to New Freeport over the past 11 years, with the highest being $25,000 for a mini-pumper in 2014.
Asked for a show of hands, five residents indicated they had also made private donations to the department.
Kiger said the township had countered with an offer of $9,000, including fire relief and worker’s compensation payments. In response, he said, the board told them that money would only count toward the full $13,000 payment.
Township board members and attendees saved their ire for Fire Chief Allan Shipman, who they had dealt with in negotiations and who they said had been responsible for the hike.
They said the increase would set in motion further escalations that would eventually be too expensive for the township.
“If he gets what he wants, it’s not going to stop him,” said Supervisor Chris Frye.
Reached after Thursday’s meeting, Shipman said the department needed the additional money to cover expenses such as insurance — $19,000 between fire trucks, building and firefighters — and replacing outdated equipment. New air packs cost $9,000, while other gear ranges from $5,000 to $6,000 per man, he said.
“You’re this far out in the country, it’s hard to do fundraisers,” he said. “So we struggle at it. So we’re just trying to get where we’re not trying to put Band-Aids on things … it’s going to take one township plus half of another just to pay our insurance, even $13,000 apiece. So we’re trying to do what we can do, whatever it is.”
The new fee had been approved by the other four townships the department serves, he said.
“When four other townships have already paid us $13,000 then it’s hard for us to take ($9,000) because your other four townships are going to come back and say, ‘Why did you take 9 from them and we had to pay 13?'” he said.
Other attempts to replace the fire department hadn’t panned out, Jackson Township board members said. The board reached out to Wayne Township’s department, which indicated it did not have the manpower to branch out to Jackson, Kiger said.
Jackson Township board members said while they would be able to cover this year’s fee, if costs continued to rise, they would have to seek more money from township residents to avoid cuts to other township services.
“We don’t want to put a fire tax in, but there’s only so much money you can put up without us having to do something,” Frye said.
The Jackson Township board members said they plan to attend the Center Township department’s next meeting to request additional coverage.