Council Passes 2020 Budget: Will Not Include First Responder Command Vehicle

In a three to four vote, Ellwood City Borough Council passed the $15.47 million 2020 budget.

Before casting the votes, Councilwoman Lisa Guerrera urged council to consider adding in the purchase of a new first responder command vehicle. Fellow council representatives Rob Brough and Judith Dici agreed with Guerrera, which led to their vote of “No” on the 2020 budget.

Guerrera said with the recent closing of the Ellwood City Medical Center, the time to upgrade is now.

“This is our only line of defense to keep someone alive,” she said. “We are on our own here.”

According to Guerrera, Ellwood City Area Fire Department responders are qualified and able to work to keep a patient alive until they can reach the closest medical facility, but she said the current command vehicle just doesn’t cut it.

“The current command vehicle is not up to par,” she said. “It doesn’t meet state standards.”

This isn’t the first time Guerrera requested council to consider an upgrade. During recent council meetings Guererra questioned the safety of the storage of necessary equipment including oxygen tanks and the logistics and specifications of the vehicle’s ability to assist first responders in effectively and efficiently treating patients.

According to Borough Manager David Allen, money is available to purchase the vehicle without implementing a tax increase.

Council members George Celli, Marilyn Mancini, Michele Lamenza, and James Barry voted to pass the proposed budget without amending it.

Councilman Celli said he opposed the suggestion because he feared that allowing the proposed budget to linger would put council at risk of missing the state required budget deadline of December 31. He said the issue can be revisited by the new council.

Guerrera said she believed that council could advertise the amendment–meeting the necessary 10-day public advertising requirement–and meet the December 31 deadline.