Malvern, Fire Department at odds over fire station

• Malvern officials want fire department out of building
• Malvern appears to impatient with local fire department.

MALVERN − Access to a building at 120 W. Water St. is the center of a brewing dispute between the village's elected officials and those who protect Malvern from fire.

The Great Trail Fire District operates in the village-owned building, but Malvern Village Council members say they want to use the structure for village operations. It could mean Great Trail Fire District might have to move.

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"They are wanting to terminate the lease and basically give us 30 days to evacuate the building," said Michael McCort, a member of Great Trail Fire District's board. "We have not received anything in writing. We have never received an invoice from the Village of Malvern for the lease payment. We have firefighting equipment stored in this building."

The issues laid out by village officials, according to McCort, are the failure of the Fire District to pay its $1 annual rental fee over a 25-year period, and not providing satisfactory building upkeep.

"I think it is pretty petty of the Village of Malvern for wanting to kick the Fire Department out of a building for $1 a year," said McCort, who also is a Brown Township trustee, which also receives fire protection from Great Trail Fire District.

Representatives of the Fire District met with Malvern officials at a recent Village Council meeting.

"We want the building back so we can put machinery in it," Malvern Village Councilman Tom Holmes said.

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Great Trail Fire District formed in 2012 with the merger of the Malvern Fire Department and Brown Township Fire Department. The Malvern building is one of two Great Trail currently uses. The other is at 235 Bridge St. in Brown Township.

The department also is set to begin using a portion of what remains of the American Axle & Manufacturing complex at 4047 Alliance Road. Much of that plant was destroyed by a fire in 2020.

"We need to remodel that," Fire Chief Ralph Castellucci said. "That building is not even close to being renovated for any storage of any fire equipment."

While discussing this issue, Mayor Robert DeLong pointed that a Village Council decision eventually will remove Great Trail Fire District from the building.

"He is up for re-election this year," McCort said. "I think it is pretty much political suicide if he agrees with council to cancel the lease. In my opinion, if they decide to do this, it will go to court. I know we are not going anywhere if we get a court order. I hope they don't want to go to court over $25. The only response I got from council was, 'We want our building back.'"

DeLong predicts the Fire Department will leave once the American Axle & Manufacturing facility is ready to accommodate a fire department's needs.

"The village needs a place to store its equipment," DeLong said. "We don't want it to sit outside. They have three other buildings. Some council members just want it. I could go either way."