CENTER TWP — In a 3-2 vote, township supervisors agreed to give the Unionville Volunteer Fire Company $2,630 from the township’s American Rescue Plan Act funds to purchase 10 emergency medical kits.

The yes votes came from chairman Bob Sloan, vice chairman Phil Wulff, who is a member of the company, and Don Pringle, while the no votes were from Alan Smallwood and Ed Latuska.

Nathan Wulff, assistant chief of the fire company, said the kits come equipped with gauze, bandages, a stethoscope and other equipment needed for initial medical response.

The initial motion presented by supervisors to give the fire company the funding from the township’s general fund did not pass, but the move to use ARP funding was approved and voted on.

Sloan said that although he is thankful for the company’s services, the vote was a difficult decision for him, because the township has several upcoming expenses that need funding, including annual road paving projects.

“I have talked to the residents; I have some who are for it and some who aren’t. The rescue plan money does allow this,” Sloan said. “We have so many other things that are in need, as most townships and municipalities do.”

Pringle said he has spoken to township residents who want to support the fire company.

“Residents that I have spoken to, they’re elderly, are very thankful for some of the things you’ve done,” he said. “This is a vote to say, ‘Thank you, we’re going to support you guys.’”

Center Township has a fire tax of two mills, and Nathan Wulff said that money goes into the fire company’s fund and the fire protection fund.

Latuska said after the vote that he plans to vote against any more financial requests from Unionville VFC until the department provides the township with a full audit report. He commented that the supervisors get only one sheet of paper from the department each year, and he would like to see more information so he and township residents can further understand how the company is spending its funding.

Sloan said the township’s financial support of the fire company to buy more of the medical kits would be on an as-needed basis.

Nathan Wulff said the kits could have a “life-saving impact” on the township, and several members of the company have already completed training that allows them to properly respond to medical calls.

“It’s something we see as extremely beneficial to the community, and it would certainly ease our financial burden,” Wulff said.

Mike Pflugh, chief of Unionville VFC, said the nation is facing an EMS personnel shortage, so having firefighters equipped with the tools necessary to perform emergency medical procedures could save lives.

“We provide this service here that is above and beyond most fire department service for EMS prices,” Pflugh said.