The State College Borough Council reviewed an evaluative study of the Alpha Fire Co. completed in February that targeted staffing and leadership issues within the fire company at its work session Friday.

"The study was pretty critical of leadership issues," Finance Department Director Mike Groff said.

The report focused on several areas such as leadership, the need for an adequate number of trained firefighters and increased response time, which are critical for operating an effective fire company. Groff, also a 40-year member of the fire company, used an example of a fire on Aberdeen Lane during the meeting to illustrate some of the problems within the fire company.

"We can spend all the money on facilities, but if we don't have people to operate it, staff it, we have real problems," he said.

Groff said a satellite fire station is located several blocks away from Aberdeen Lane, but no one from that station responded to the call. He added the station had a functioning fire engine but no one to staff the station.

"The fire service is at a crossroads," he said. "It needs assistance, and I think this report is the assistance."

Centre Region Council of Governments Executive Director Jim Steff said both the Boalsburg and Alpha fire companies participated in the study, which resulted in more than 100 recommendations for the companies' organizational and structural operations.

Steff said two of the consultant's recommendations involved the appointment of a paid fire director for Alpha and a training and recruitment coordinator that would benefit both companies.

However, Borough Council President Tom Daubert said the report was misleading in gauging the fire company's performance.

"It sort of gives a bad impression of Alpha," he said. "I think they're doing much better than the report shows."

One of the concerns shared at Friday's meeting was the fire company's possible resistance to change because of its volunteer nature.

"It's part community service, part social club, part secret society," Groff said.

Borough Council member Jeff Kern said he thought it was time to change the structure of the fire company.

"We've reached a point where we need to get rid of the fire fraternity and move into a more modern world," he said.

Kern said he was concerned because it could be difficult to work with the fire company if some of the report's recommendations are met with opposing viewpoints.

"It's a fairly resistant organization to change. We need change, and there's no way to force them to change," he said. "Eventually we're going to get to a point in this process where we don't get cooperation."

Borough Council member Janet Knauer said cooperation would be the only way to fix the current situation as opposed to trying to force the fire company to change.

"We need them as much as they need us," she said. "We don't want to be butting heads."