COPENHAGEN, New York (WWNY) – It’s a fire department on the brink.
The Copenhagen fire department has but two choices – hand over control to the village, or dissolve.
A meeting Tuesday night left residents and elected trustees clashing over the department’s fate.
And one of the towns – Denmark – which has decided to not renew its contract with the fire department in 2023 now says it plans to return to contracting with the village of Copenhagen for fire services “after the Village and the Fire Department work through its issues.”
“We as the Town Board don’t know what that will look like, but it’s between the Village of Copenhagen and its Fire Department to figure out, not the Town of Denmark Board,” the Denmark town board said in a statement Wednesday.
From the sound of things Tuesday night, that may take a while.
“What am I looking for? It’s one word. Accountability. I don’t see no accountability That’s why I’m upset,” said village trustee Shareef Stokley.
The situation started in January, after a state audit showed $27,000 of fire department payments didn’t have adequate records to prove whether or not they were valid.
Now, the towns of Pinckney, Harrisburg and Denmark are set to seek fire protection elsewhere, and Copenhagen has been left in a tough spot financially.
“The village cannot do this on their own. They’re trying to come up with a resolution to keep this together. Whether you like it or not, hate the village or not, the towns have dumped us,” one village resident said at Tuesday’s meeting.
The village board now has two options. In the first, the village will take control of the department, sort out their books, and mend the relationship with neighboring towns.
In the second, the department will be dissolved and Copenhagen will seek fire protection from another department that will set up shop in the village.
Trustees tried to reassure villagers Tuesday.
“You will be covered,” said trustee Kim Vogt. “That is our responsibility.”
The board is expected to decide what to do by the end of the year.
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