Canonsburg quashes rumors pertaining to fire inspections
Canonsburg Council President R.T. Bell, right, said council will take another look at fire inspection fees at future meetings, but that most concerns were revealed to be the result of rumors or misinformation. Seated with Bell are Councilman John Severine and Councilwoman Tina Bails.
On hand Monday to answer questions about new Canonsburg fire inspection policies were, from left, Canonsburg fire Chief Tom Lawrence; firefighter and inspector Jason Brown; Tim Solobay, assistant borough fire chief and state fire commissioner; and Dave Rhome, assistant fire chief and mayor of Canonsburg.
CANONSBURG – Canonsburg council convened a special meeting Monday to quash rumors surrounding newly hired firefighter and inspector Jason Brown and the new fire inspection policy for the borough.
Letters sent to businesses seeking inspection fees were misconstrued as increased fees sought by the fire department, according to Tim Solobay, who is assistant fire chief and state fire commissioner. Only commercial properties are to be inspected, Solobay said.
“There was some misinformation going around that we were seeking money, or upped the fees. We (the fire department) don’t set those fees. They are set by the borough,” Solobay said.
Brown said the fees for commercial properties are $75 per 25,000 square feet of space, per business. Councilman John Severine said the letters were confusing in that they did not list “individual business” but a “per building” description on the included forms. Manager Bob Kipp said during the meeting that an ordinance approved in September set the current fee structure. Kipp declined to clarify further, saying he was “tied up and couldn’t answer questions” before leaving the meeting. Calls and emails for clarification were not returned Tuesday.
Severine said he was still concerned about Brown’s $40,000 salary and split duties as a firefighter and inspector, but council President R.T. Bell said the meeting was to go over guidelines and expectations of the inspections, not to “rehash what’s happened in past discussions about Brown’s pay and responsibilities.”
Bell also said council acknowledges better communication could be had between the fire department and other borough departments after Severine said a Feb. 6 legal ad in the Observer-Reporter revealed the department did not give notice to council about intentions to seek a loan to help pay to replace a 30-year-old fire truck.
“I realize that the fire department had done things a certain way in the past, but you (fire Chief Tom Lawrence) probably should bring these items before council so we know what’s going on,” Bell said. The legality of the notice as it pertains to council’s powers and responsibilities was not clear. A solicitor for the borough was not present Monday.
Despite the miscommunications, the inspections are yielding good results, Rhome said.
“Jason has done (29 inspections) since he started at the end of January, and through those inspections, he’s found eight businesses that weren’t on our books,” Rhome said. Kipp said those businesses would now be on local tax rolls.
“But of those 29 inspections, only two have passed,” Brown said, explaining the majority of issues are not serious violations.
“I have employees coming up to me saying, ‘We don’t know why the breaker kicks off all the time,’ only to find overloaded surge protectors,” Brown said.
“The big thing is getting all of these buildings up to the 21st century. A lot don’t have fire extinguishers, or they’re canisters that haven’t been checked since 1991 – they need to be checked every year,” Brown said. “And these are all easy fixes. We’re not looking to shut anyone down unless it’s an immediate safety issue. Everyone I’ve talked to has been grateful, not angry.
“We’ve talked to Erie Insurance, other agencies – they’ve said that those who get these updated inspections can save five to 10 percent on their property-casualty policies,” Rhome said, “so there are unseen benefits here, as well, in addition to the fact that this is about public safety. It’s about keeping business owners and their customers safe, and keeping our guys safe so they know what they’re getting into when they enter a building. It will also help police if they have to engage and enter a building with gas lines and fire hazards.”