Today’s Daily Local article about abolishing paid firefighters

There is an article in today’s Daily Local News concerning the referendum to abolish the paid firefighters in Coatesville proposed by Miss Patsy Ray and Harry Walker.

City council rejects firefighter referendum
Published: Friday, December 18, 2009
http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2009/12/18/news/srv0000007110826.txt

I wrote about a proposed referendum to abolish paid firefighters on December 6, 2009:

“Walker wants paid firefighters out…

http://coatesvilledems.blogspot.com/2009/12/walker-wants-paid-firefighters-out.html

We are much safer now that the paid firefighters have some control in Coatesville. But I think that there are still many unanswered questions concerning the volunteer officers in Coatesville and the pandemic of arson fires here.

The Philadelphia Inquirer:
"(Coatesville Fire Chief) 'Johnson reported 295 in 2007, while union records show 733. When the union discovered the difference, it complained to city officials, but nothing was done, Poulson said. 'Fire-suppression services are in complete disarray,' Poulson said of Coatesville, adding, 'It's like the perfect storm for an arsonist.". Richard G. Poulson is the attorney for the city's 13 paid part-time firefighters and four full-time firefighters." From "Hiring practices, management of Coatesville Fire Department criticized" -Philadelphia Inquirer