Girard Township to levy fire services tax. Here's what you need to know.

Note: This story has been updated to include the July 11 vote on the fire tax.

GIRARD — Girard Township supervisors approved a tax to help fund local fire departments Tuesday.

The .75-mill fire services tax will be levied beginning in 2024 and will generate an estimated $204,000 annually. Revenues will be evenly split by Girard's A.F. Dobler Hose & Ladder Company, Lake City Fire Company and Platea Fire Company, the volunteer departments serving Girard Township.

"It has to be done," Girard Township Supervisor Clay Brocious said.

Brocious has been involved in discussions with the fire departments and neighboring boroughs also served by the departments to address firefighters' equipment and manpower needs. Platea Borough approved a fire services tax earlier this year. Girard and Lake City boroughs are in the process.

"We've been lucky enough so far to have a group of dedicated volunteers who are able to keep up with emergency calls. But there's only so much time they can give. They're running themselves ragged on calls and trying to raise money on top of that," Brocious said.

What the tax would pay for

Revenues generated by the tax will help fire departments buy and maintain equipment and in time pay staff to help cover calls, Dobler Hose Chief Jeff Gadley said.

A new fire truck that cost about $300,000 in 1993, when Gadley joined the fire department, now costs $750,000, he said.

"Equipment costs are unreal," Gadley said. "And like everyone else we don't have enough volunteers. We're going to have to start paying people to run calls at some point. It's why the boroughs and township need to step up."

The number of volunteer firefighters statewide has dropped from roughly 300,000 in the 1970s to 38,000 in 2018, according to the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute.

Fire departments currently are reviewing the state legislation that allows municipalities to levy a fire tax to see how revenues might also be spent.

"We have to be careful. Money from a fire tax can only be used for certain things," Gadley said. "It can't be spent on EMS wages, for one thing. We're looking into all of that."

Girard Township's fire services tax will indirectly benefit the West County Paramedic Association, which provides emergency medical services in western Erie County.

Revenues from Girard Township's existing local services tax that currently are split between the three local fire departments and West County Paramedics will go solely to the paramedic service beginning in 2024. The association also has been struggling financially, and this spring it remained afloat with help from loans provided by local municipalities.

The township's local services tax raises about $35,000 to $40,000 annually.

West County Paramedics are taking on more calls even as costs rise. The association recently took over all Platea emergency medical calls. Platea Fire Company is no longer able to provide ambulance service due to dwindling volunteers and rising costs.

"The huge issue is Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements for emergency medical services," Platea Borough Secretary-Treasurer Lyne Daniels said.

"West County Paramedic Association was the first paramedic service in Erie County" when it was founded in 1979, Daniels said. "And they're getting the same federal government reimbursements that they got in the 1980s."

Fire department ambulance services are also feeling the pinch.

"If we bill a call for $1,000, we're reimbursed $300," Dobler Hose's Gadley said.

Erie County Executive Brenton Davis has proposed the creation of a municipal authority to fund emergency medical services through an annual fee on property owners. The fee could be bolstered by an annual investment from the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority, according to the Davis administration.

How much township residents, and others, will pay

The Girard Township fire services tax will cost the average property owner about $85 a year, based on the average home assessment of $114,000, Brocious said.

"That's about what the fire departments have been asking for in their annual fund drives," Brocious said. "The problem is that they only get about a 30% return from those fund drives."

And while donations may decline further if a fire tax is imposed, it's a risk that has to be taken, Brocious said.

"There are people who give a lot more money to the fire departments every year, and for some people, what they pay for the tax won't be enough. Plus donations are a tax write-off," Brocious said. "I'm confident that people will continue to give what they can afford."

Fire departments still will need to raise money through annual campaigns and other fundraisers, Gadley said.

"We could potentially lose money on our fund drives because people are paying the tax," Gadley said. "We have to make sure that one revenue source isn't going to hurt the other."

Girard Township residents won't be alone in funding local fire services.

Platea Borough this spring approved a 1-mill tax for fire services and a .5-mill tax for the West County Paramedic Association. The Platea taxes take effect next year and are expected to raise about $19,000 annually for fire services and $9,000 for emergency medical services, Daniels said.

Girard and Lake City boroughs are in the process of determining how best to fund local fire departments.

Lake City Borough Council was expected to discuss the issue further at its July 10 business meeting, borough Secretary-Treasurer Stacy Kibler said.

Girard Borough Council also is continuing discussion on the issue, borough Manager Rob Stubenbort said.

"I think every one of the municipalities is on board to do something. They're in the process of determining what's right for their residents," Brocious said.

Davis touts benefits: Of a countywide authority to strengthen EMS delivery

Similar fire tax is in effect in Millcreek

Millcreek Township imposed a fire services tax this year. The township funds a full-time paid police department but relies on four volunteer fire departments and Millcreek Paramedic Service for fire, rescue and emergency medical services.

Revenues from the new tax pay for equipment and for a full-time chief to oversee services. The tax also will pay the salaries of full-time and part-time firefighters to help answer calls for Millcreek's Belle Valley, Kearsarge, West Lake and West Ridge fire departments, particularly during the daytime when volunteers often are not available.

In Millcreek: Fire chief, full-time paid firefighters to boost volunteer ranks

Girard Township fire tax vote

Girard supervisors unanimously approved the fire tax.

Public comment on the issue was generally supportive, Brocious said.

"People understand how important fire and EMS protection is," Brocious said. "When they call 911, they want someone to come."

Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Girard Township supervisors approve fire services tax.