Walker Township Supervisor Christopher Riedlinger told his fellow supervisors of a recent ruling that may affect volunteer fire companies, including New England Fire Company in Walker Township.

Last week, a Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court panel affirmed a lower court decision that a volunteer fire department in Lycoming County is considered a local agency that comes under the Right-to-Know Law. The original case was filed when TV station WNEP requested financial documents from the Clinton Township Volunteer Fire Co.

The three deciding factors on whether a fire company is considered an agency are: The degree of governmental control, nature of the organization’s functions, and financial control.

Riedlinger recommended that the New England Fire Company appoint an open records officer to handle such requests.

“The fire company must file a response within the first five business days of receiving a request,” Riedlinger said. “They can request an additional 30 calendar days to respond.

“Something people need to know; the fire company does not have to answer questions, just provide documents. They also do not have to create documents, only provide existing documents.”

In other business, supervisors passed a motion to buy a Toughbook laptop computer and software for the township police car for approximately $4,300, plus a printer for $300.

“The state is going to all electronic or printed tickets,” township Supervisor President Craig Wagner said. “No more handwritten tickets. So we pretty much have to do this.”