York Area United Fire and Rescue: Intergovernmental Cooperation and Fire Services by Dean Fernsler

Dean Fernsler
former Local Government Policy Manager
DCED Governors Center for Local Government Services

Local governments in Pennsylvania are very independent organizations and conduct their business just as independently. Often there is little consideration of how a decision or action may affect their neighboring municipalities. However, there are those local governments who have reached out to their neighbors in an effort to ease the burden of providing services to their constituents.

The process of intergovernmental cooperation is not new to some local governments and some have decades of history working with their neighbors. It is most common in public works, purchasing, policing, and administration. However, intergovernmental cooperation is relatively rare regarding partnerships of emergency service organizations, such as volunteer fire and rescue companies. Even more rare are partnerships involving career fire departments.

That is why there is a compelling story to be told surrounding the formal established partnership of two combination fire departments in two different local governments. Springettsbury (a township of the second class) and Spring Garden (a township of the first class) Townships are located just east of the City of York, York County. Springettsbury is the larger of the two municipalities, but both have career firefighters supported and assisted by volunteers. Career firefighters are in the majority with Springettsbury having 17 positions and Spring Garden with 16 paid positions.

In 2002, the managers and a few elected officials from both townships met with a representative from DCED to inquire if assistance was available to investigate the feasibility of combining fire service operations of both municipalities. The idea was to determine if it was possible to combine similar yet different services into a single organization to serve both townships. A strategy was developed to facilitate the creation of a partnership and in December of 2002, a resolution was approved by both municipalities to proceed. 

An Emergency Services Task Force was created consisting of elected representatives of both local governments, fire services officials, and most importantly, selected citizen representatives from both municipalities. This group consisted of 13 members and was charged with creating a combined fire service organization. The Task Force soon recognized the need for some professional assistance with their evaluation and engaged a consultant to assist their effort. The study was underwritten with a DCED shared services grant and proved to be beneficial to the entire process.

Throughout the long and complicated process of debate, deliberation and decision-making, both municipal governments were openly supportive and understanding of the needs of the fire services and kept employees and members informed and engaged. The learning curve was steep for all involved, and the Task Force correctly realized that this was an educational process for everyone involved. 

The result of this effort is that today in Springettsbury and Spring Garden Townships, there exists a new emergency services organization known as the York Area United Fire and Rescue (YAUFR). This is a consolidated fire and rescue service organization with a new chief (selected from a nationwide search) and administrative staff that brings together two formerly independent and separate organizations. It required combining two labor unions, two pension plans, satisfying the volunteer component, and a new ordinance defining and creating the new entity.

The newly appointed chief began duties on February 11, 2008. There are plans being developed for a central station to house the organization to bring all assets together. The career firefighters were in favor of this effort because they saw this as an opportunity to be part of a larger, more responsive and capable organization that can have a regional application in the greater York suburban area. The volunteers were experiencing declining resources and saw this as a way to enhance fire service capabilities for the region. 

This was an ambitious, complicated and yet rewarding process for all involved. It also stands as a progressive and beneficial result for the entire region and is a model of intergovernmental cooperation. In addition to the Task Force, one of the other significant driving forces behind this success were the managers of both municipalities who orchestrated all of the detail work involved. In the words of the Springettsbury manager, it required “patience, patience, and evidence of monthly progress” to keep this effort on track.

In light of the obstacles that had to be overcome, this is an extraordinary example of intergovernmental cooperation in Pennsylvania. The elected and appointed officials, firefighters, and citizens have reason to be proud and excited about their accomplishment and can be shared and promoted as a model of what local governments can achieve with patience, persistence and commitment.