Published: April 01, 2009 11:20 pm      

Portage, Cassandra fire companies announce merger

PORTAGE — Two Mainline fire companies at odds over service areas a year ago have ironed out the differences and are forming an alliance.

Members of Portage Fire Company and Cassandra Fire Company told the Portage Township supervisors and Cassandra Borough Council that they are developing documents which will result in a merger of the two organizations.

The merger board, made up of members of both fire companies, is preparing to submit an agreement to the state for approval and the two could become one within 90 days, Bruce Cadwallader of the Portage company said Wednesday night.

The merger will not only provide increased protection for the residents of both communities, but also will improve the chances of receiving grant money from the state, the volunteers said.

“The time has come for this. It is for the people,” said Ted Beck of the Cassandra company.

Plans are to keep the Cassandra station and its five pieces of equipment, but with the merger both companies will be known as Portage Fire Company.

Members of the two companies have begun training together.

A goal in going public with the news was to get early approval for a change in the alarm cards filed with the Cambria County Office of Emergency Management, Cadwallader said.

The township approved the change.

Cassandra and fire officials will meet with Portage Borough Council, perhaps as early as Monday, for similar approval.

“We want to put Cassandra on the cards for all calls,” Cadwallader said.

It was the alarm cards that caused dissent last year between Portage Township supervisors and firefighters.

The concern was that Cassandra volunteers were not being called as often as may have been necessary to township alarms.

Supervisor Kenneth Trimbath welcomed the merger.

“I’m thrilled. I’m elated with this. It is the best thing that could have happened,” Trimbath said. “It means we’ll have better protection.”

Both fire halls were renovated recently, and both companies are coming into the marriage debt-free, Cassandra firefighter Matt McCoy said.