Council intends to move forward with a long-range fire protection plan that does not incorporate the Guyasuta Volunteer Fire Department.

Council last week said that despite the volunteer fire department being decertified in June, members were afforded the chance to realign their leadership and present a reorganization plan.

That doesn’t appear to be working out, according to Township Manager Julie Jakubec.

“Council has decided to move forward with the six companies it’s using now,” she said.

Since Guyasuta was dissolved, mutual aid has been provided to the township by its two other fire departments, Parkview and Pleasant Valley, as well as Fox Chapel, Blawnox, Sharpsburg and Aspinwall.

The six have been responsible for calls in Guyasuta’s service area, largely the eastern portion of the township. In 2010, Guyasuta responded to 437 fire calls.

As it stands, the township’s 2012 budget includes a $63,000 allocation for Parkview, Pleasant Valley and Guyasuta, but only the two active companies will get the funding.

The money that was allocated for Guyasuta will be left in the budget, as council is waiting for a recommendation from its consultants, Matrix, on how to spend it.

“Obviously, we’re going to have to compensate the other companies somehow,” Jakubec said.

She said Matrix consultants are moving forward with a long-range fire protection study using six companies instead of seven and that council expects to start reviewing the recommendations in early 2012.

“Now that we know it’s going to be six companies, they can move forward and start figuring it out,” Jakubec said.

The township also pays workers’ compensation and vehicle insurance for Parkview and Pleasant Valley.

Jakubec said run cards — the certified order in which fire companies respond to events — have been reworked by local fire chiefs and are under review by Allegheny County officials.

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