Aspinwall, Sharpsburg volunteer fire departments merge into new organization

The Sharpsburg and Aspinwall volunteer fire departments are now Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services — SAVES.

Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Michael E. McCarthy signed the order merging the two departments on June 20. The driving force behind the merger was the need for more volunteers and to boost efficiency.

Both towns will keep their fire stations, which will be used as headquarters, though the new department’s official listing is Station 102. The station number figures prominently in the new SAVES logo.

“All the members of both departments were on board with it,” said spokesman Mike Daniher, Sharpsburg assistant fire chief and department vice president. “It made the transition very easy. We had to create new bylaws. We had to create new standard operating procedures that were agreeable to everybody. That was the initial action taken.

“Over the last year and a half we have been training together and working toward one organization with decision making and things like that.”

There were about 300,000 volunteer firefighters across the state in the 1970s. Numbers are down to about 38,000, according to a report released in November 2018 by the state House of Representatives.

Aspinwall had 44 members, but only 15 are active and regularly answer calls. Sharpsburg had 15 members with about a dozen active.

SAVES has 30 trained firefighters and about 20 business members, volunteers who do no firefighting.

Daniher said the department has added three firefighters since the merger process started in January 2022.

He anticipates emergency responses to be faster and more efficient because members can go to the closest station. Fire trucks and related vehicles from both departments are getting decals with the new name.

An open house is being planned for later this year.

All current leadership at both stations will remain in place until a fall election. There will eventually be one chief and one set of officers.

The Good Friday Lent fish fry tradition will remain.

Community support

“The borough sees this merger as a positive for both municipalities,” said Karen Pastor, Sharpsburg Council vice president and public safety chair. “Because of a lack of volunteers, it will strengthen the membership numbers and response times which shows their dedication to our residents’ safety and well-being. Hopefully other departments will follow their lead.”

Sharpsburg Mayor Brittany Reno agreed.

“The merger—and all of the shared training and planning leading up to it—has already resulted in improvements to our local response capacity, which means better public safety for residents,” Reno said.

Aspinwall Council President Tim McLaughlin said the judge’s approval was a major step. More work must be done between the boroughs and the newly formed organization.

“We are excited for the VFD’s to merge,” McLaughlin said. “We still have some financial and operational logistics to work out. Aspinwall and Sharpsburg officials as well as the SAVES leadership have been meeting regularly to iron out all the details. This is a great thing for all the Southern Allegheny Valley communities. Aspinwall and Sharpsburg are excited to lead the charge.”

Money moves

Sharpsburg has a fire tax that generates about $75,000. Sharpsburg’s contribution goes toward payment of a ladder truck.

Aspinwall gives between $70,000 to $90,000 annually. Aspinwall fire officials said their money is used for various expenses.

Both fiscal allocations would now go into one pot.

Other communities

O’Hara, Blawnox and Fox Chapel volunteer fire departments were invited to join the merger. So far, none plans to join.

O’Hara, Sharpsburg, Aspinwall and Blawnox agreed to participate in a regional fire department study that would examine memberships, resources, training and other factors.

The study through the state Department of Community and Economic Development is at no cost to the participating towns and does not bind them to any possible recommendations.

Results of that study may be released sometime in July.