Hempfield's fire chiefs agree that a state consultant's suggestions could help to improve administration of firefighting services in the township.
But they are skeptical and critical of any proposal that would consolidate the township's 12 fire companies.
"We don't see (consolidation) happening in the future. It's pretty much a given that 100 percent of the departments are against it," Greg Saunders, chief of the township's fire chiefs association, told township supervisors and representatives of the state Department of Community and Economic Development Monday night.
"We're individuals, we own our own stuff and we took that as a slap that you would consider closing any of us."
Supervisors said the public meeting last night with Michael J. McCafferty, the author of a 95-page "peer review" of Hempfield's fire services, might become the basis of a local study.
McCafferty, vice president of the Aspinwall Volunteer Fire Department and a DCED consultant, completed the free study at the township's request to evaluate equipment and manpower needs, the quality of training and fire facilities, and administration of companies, and to compile a list of recommendations for long-range emergency management planning.
"The decision is yours," he told the chiefs and supervisors. "There's no obligation on your part to follow these."
Although several chiefs said they thought the study identified some weaknesses the departments can improve, a few were quick to question the only two of the 67 recommendations that broached consolidating some or all of the companies.
In particular, Carbon Chief George Reese and Luxor Chief Angelo Salandro wondered how consolidation would alleviate a statewide manpower shortage.
"How would that benefit this township in the future, when this township grows and will continue to grow?" Reese questioned.
Under Salandro's questioning, McCafferty said consolidation might cause some less-active firefighters to quit, "but, overall, I don't think you'd lose that many."
Some of the chiefs stressed the importance of the local departments to the identities of their former coal patches.
Other aspects of the study received a better reception.
Saunders, who is Bovard's chief, said the chiefs collectively favor the hiring of a fire services coordinator to handle routine paperwork involved with the companies and possibly assisting with fire prevention, code enforcement and fire investigation.
However, Saunders said the companies are against any plan to install a township-wide fire chief who could dictate what departments could do or buy.
Most of the recommendations the chiefs supported involved ideas for joint purchasing, fundraising and recruiting.
One recommendation states that municipal funding of the fire companies "should be increased if it can be done without necessitating a property tax increase," but it doesn't specify any ideas.
Other suggestions included active pursuit of state, county, corporate and foundation grants and soliciting larger companies to pledge money to departments.
"This serves as the beginning to adopt maybe some of these economic ideas and save our taxpayers money," Supervisors' Chairman John Silvis said.
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