EMS, fire financial documents sought

Brentwood Borough Council has asked Brentwood EMS and the Brentwood Volunteer Fire Co. for five years of financial statements — a request to make sure both organizations are financially viable.

“Council wants to ensure that the residents of Brentwood are being provided the best possible EMS and fire services,” borough Manager George Zboyovsky said. “One way to verify this is to ensure that both organizations are financially sound and are investing in the latest equipment, technologies and personnel to provide such services. In addition, as fiduciary stewards of the taxpayer dollars, council felt that having more information from both organizations is a prudent thing to do, as well as the most transparent.”

Council has said if it does not receive the documentation, then it may cease its quarterly financial contributions, Zboyovsky said. The borough gives EMS $90,000 a year, while the Brentwood Volunteer Fire Co. gets $97,957 from the borough, which includes fuel.

EMS leases its space in the Brentwood municipal building from the borough and its lease expires in December. Initially, it was planned to relocate EMS to the new borough building planned for the former Snee Dairy site. Council, council chambers and the borough administration, meanwhile, would be relocated to a renovated Brentwood Civic Center.

Zboyovsky said the civic center will not be renovated with the exception of the building's patio. The existing deck will be removed and a new retaining wall and patio will be constructed.

Council is now considering two new building options; construct a one-floor, 13,500-square-foot building that would house the police, administration, council chambers and a community room. The second option would be to construct a similar-size building, only with two floors. The same departments would be in that building. Either option will save the borough $1 million, Zboyovsky said.

“EMS will be able to stay at the current building for at least two years until we are ready to move into the new building,” Zboyovsky said in an email. “Until then, a future location will be discussed with EMS and the Brentwood Volunteer Fire Co. — who has plenty of space to take in EMS but they have been reluctant. Nobody knows why other than they do not want to give up their social hall to convert it to EMS space. However, the BVFC is also having financial issues. Council believes the merging of the two emergency first responder organizations is a win-win for the two organizations.”

Representatives from Brentwood EMS and the Brentwood Volunteer Fire Co. did not return requests seeking comment.

Suzanne Elliott is a Tribune-Review staff writer. She can be reached at 412-871-2346, selliott@tribweb.com or via Twitter@41Suzanne.