To make sure fire prevention methods keep up with the area's burgeoning population, the Centre Region Council of Governments has allocated funds to hire three new fire officials.

COG will add a fire administrator, a deputy director for fire and rental housing, and a fire inspector to its building-code administration staff, COG Executive Director James Steff said. The officials will prevent fires by keeping track of conditions in commercial residences, including apartment buildings and houses rented to students, Steff said.

"We want to protect people (from fire loss)," he said. "That's why we're doing this."

The fire administrator will work with the volunteer Alpha Fire Company. No specific job description exists for the fire administrator, but its duties would include helping volunteers train new personnel. The administrator will also participate in the Alpha station's day-to-day operations, file reports and keep accounts, Steff said.

"The fire company is supportive of the fire administrator," Steff said. "I'm expecting it will be approved by the fire company and (COG)."

Appointing an administrator would give volunteers more time for training and firefighting, said Alpha Fire Chief Robert Kauffman.

"He'd be (reviewing) all the plans for new buildings, taking care of bills, and the purchase of equipment," Kauffman said.

Alpha Fire Company would have to review the job description before an appointment is made, Kauffman said, adding that an administrator could be hired by July.

The deputy director of fire and rental housing would supervise building inspections and potential safety hazards. The director would institute a community education program on fire prevention and participate in investigations made by the state fire marshal and local police.

Housing inspectors formerly checked fire and safety violations, Steff said. With the creation of the new positions, some inspectors would specialize in checking for fire hazards, Steff said.

A deputy director of fire and rental housing was budgeted for by COG last year, but no one was appointed to the position.

The position remained empty while the fire administrator position was being considered because some county officials were concerned that the two positions might overlap, since no job descriptions had been prepared.