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Originally home to the Unami (Turtle) clan of the Lenni Lenape Tribe, the area now known as Douglass Township was settled by Germans in the early 18th century. The municipality was officially established in 1741. Today, Douglass Township is a 15.8 square mile vibrant community located in northwestern Montgomery County. The Township takes pride in its mix of residential, commercial and rural resource areas, with an emphasis on livable neighborhoods and a preservation of farmlands and open space. The Boyertown Area School District provides public education to the children of Douglass Township. The school district is ranked as a superior district in the region.

                     FLOODWATERS IN BASEMENTS

The Douglass Township Board of Supervisors directed the Gilbertsville Fire and Rescue Company to discontinue their “Basement Pumping Operations” at residential and commercial sites throughout Douglass Township. The reasons for this decision are the safety concerns for our volunteer firefighters, and, the increasing environmentally sensitive issues of discharging floodwaters from private basements.

There have been recent instances where volunteers, while assisting flooded homeowners, were walking in water near electrical circuit boxes creating an extremely hazardous condition.

There have also been instances were the water in flooded basements is contaminated with volatile fluids that are commonly stored in cellars such as oil, gas, and paint. In addition, during severe storms the public sewage lines may backflow through improperly designed basement drains creating a health risk for the fire company personnel. There is also the possibility that the discharged water could cause flooding problems and environmental concerns to additional neighbors and properties downstream.

The potential liabilities associated with Township volunteers pumping private basements overshadow this community service. It should also be mentioned that while equipment and personnel are assisting in flooded basement calls, the reaction times for emergency operations at accidents, fires, or vehicle rescues could be delayed. This is a risk the Township cannot take.

With this in mind, all residents who are prone to flooded basements, should take the necessary precautions of adding sump pumps, replacing pumps that are inoperable or undersized, and in some cases connecting a battery backup system or a gas powered generator if the electric service would be interrupted for any length of time.

The Board of Supervisors and the volunteers of Gilbertsville Fire and Rescue want to thank everyone for their cooperation regarding this matter.



 

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