Disbanded Fire Department Fights Back

424 Muskingum Township residents have taken a public stand to support their disbanded fire department.

Almost four weeks ago, two Muskingum Township trustees made the decision to disband the Muskingum Township Fire Department and sign a contract for service with Falls Township FD. Now, the former volunteer firefighters and members of the community are taking a stand against the trustees and using the voices they weren’t given in the first place.

"What we as the community members, the fire department members, and also the residents of Muskingum Township, what we don’t appreciate is the way that they did it," says former Muskingum Township Fire Chief, John Benson.

Muskingum township’s fire equipment and the fire levy was signed over to falls township in the deal, which has many of Muskingum Township’s 3,982 residents upset. That’s why 424 of them signed a petition for the trustee’s removal.

"It gives us the right if we feel it’s necessary to take them to court and then to have them taken out of office and that’s really the only thing that we can do legally, and that’s what we are doing," says Benson.

The trustees hold their monthly meeting tomorrow at 7p.m. Trustee Jerry Miller was reached for comment, but declined due to pending legal procedures.