By Rick Dandes
The Daily Item
SUNBURY, Pa. — Thirteen firefighters with the Good Will Hose Company went out on strike, putting themselves out of service, late Thursday night.
Lt. Heath Young said, “Tonight, due to ongoing problems with our club patrons, the members, we’ve decided to walk out and go on strike. We called the 911 center and took the truck out of service.”
Young said there were similar problems between members and fire personnel a few weeks ago. “Then we talked to the fire chief and said the next time this happened, the chief and the mayor would decide when it goes back in service. As far as the members, we’re all done until reorganization papers come back through for the whole club. And some things get resolved.”
As it stands now, Young continued, “with us out of service their charter is in jeopardy.”
Young, the president of the club, has been suspended for 60 days, he said.
Sunbury Mayor David Persing, notified of the situation by The Daily Item, said he was “unaware of the action. I have heard rumors, but I don’t follow up on rumors. This is something I will take up first thing in the morning.”
Both Young and the mayor reassured the public that if there is a fire, there will be coverage.
“There are five other companies in town,” Young said. “It’s only Good Will that is out of service.”
Second Lt. Kyle Rhodes summed it up by saying “there just has to be more cooperation between the members and the wants and needs of the fire personnel.”
Young believes the members “don’t like the firefighters. They say they do, but they don’t. They make us feel alienated in our own club.”
On Thursday night, Young said, “they started a petition to get rid of me as president. They thought if ‘he goes, they’ll all follow.’ We have ongoing differences. We have members taking our company business to other clubs. That whole side of the club is just out of control. They stack the meetings against us for anything we try to do.”
“We’re all volunteers, and we work hard,” Young said.
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