The Presston Volunteer Fire Department in Stowe is hosting a town forum at 1 p.m. Saturday to answer questions and concerns about the future of the 105-year-old department.

The forum will be held in the Presston Fire Hall, 369 Helen St.

Presston volunteers are urging residents also to voice their concerns at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the next Stowe commissioners meeting, 555 Broadway Ave.

Stowe elected officials have announced that they no longer will dispatch or recognize Presston on fire calls in the township.

On Monday, McKees Rocks council voted to "recognize" the Presston Volunteer Fire Department, but it's not clear, at this point, whether the Presston company will be called out if there's a fire in McKees Rocks.

"We are in the process of checking out some administrative details, including insurance," said McKees Rocks solicitor John Bacharach. "I don't expect that to take long."

Kevin Kochirka, president of the Presston VFD said, "The Stowe police chief and fire chief personally delivered the notice to my house on New Year's Eve." The notice means that when a fire occurs in Stowe, the Presston volunteers will not be called out, he said.

No fires have occurred in Stowe since last Thursday, when the notice was served, said Stowe Commissioners President Howard W. Duerr Jr.

Presston volunteers "still do not want to be part of the Stowe Township Volunteer Fire Department," Mr. Duerr said yesterday.

The Stowe department is a consolidation of two other volunteer companies in the township -- West Park and Fleming Park.

Members of the Presston company repeatedly have told elected officials that they do not want to join in the consolidation but wish to continue operating as an independent volunteer fire department.

A flier distributed to residents of Presston and other parts of the township asks why Stowe officials "turn away 45 volunteers, two engines and a firehouse?"

The Presston company is financially solvent, Mr. Kochirka said, thanks to successful fundraising, including operation of the company's social club.

Presston owes $32,000 on one of the firetrucks and $37,000 on property. Annual payments on those debts is $13,000, which the company is able to pay, he said.

The other two companies owe $700,000 for the purchase of two firetrucks and their fundraising is not covering expenses, Mr. Kochirka said.

John Arminas, attorney for the Presston volunteer company, said the volunteers legally own the trucks and property and cannot be forced to turn them over to Stowe officials or the consolidated fire company.

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