One fire chief, four departments
BUTLER TWP — Officials plan to hire a full-time fire chief to oversee the four departments that cover the City of Butler and Butler Township.
Representatives of city council and the township commissioners announced their plan to enter into an intermunicipal agreement at a news conference Tuesday at Butler County Community College.
“We intend to enter into this agreement because we believe both municipalities will better be able to serve their communities and taxpayers by doing so,” Butler Mayor Ben Smith said in a prepared statement.
Each board will introduce an ordinance at their respective meetings later this month and take a final vote in July, Smith said. Then officials will seek applicants and conduct interviews.
The chief will oversee Butler City Fire Department, Butler Township Volunteer Fire District Station 3, Mercer Road Volunteer Fire Department and South Butler Volunteer Fire Department.
The city fire department has not had a fire chief since 2016 when Nick Ban retired. The chiefs of the three volunteer departments were consulted while officials negotiated the plan and have agreed to step down into a deputy chief or assistant chief role, Township Commissioner Dave Zarnick said.
A full story will appear in the Butler Eagle.
