Problems with the Kidder Township Fire Company surfaced Thursday night at the township supervisors' meeting, including a change in territory and a discrepancy in funds.

Township Manager Lisa Klem requested Thursday that the supervisors approve a motion to redistrict the business corridor of Route 940 for fire coverage. The section of Route 940 that will now be under the supervision of Lake Harmony Volunteer Fire Company begins at the Plateau Motel and ends with the Mountain Laurel Resort. Pocono Mountain Lake Estates will remain under Kidder Volunteer Fire Company."I believe that the supervisors are concerned about the need for a ladder truck at the hotels in the area," Klem said. "Lake Harmony has a ladder truck, Kidder does not."The area was previously within the boundaries of the Kidder Township Volunteer Fire Company."This is going to kill the fire company," stated John Devine, the new Kidder fire chief. "We rely on yearly donations from the businesses along the route as part of our yearly fundraising. We also receive funds from the township based on the area we cover."Devine believes that there is more to this than the township is admitting."We recently met with the township supervisors to discuss some very serious issues that have come about at our fire company," Devine said. "We know that the supervisors have been frustrated with the lack of responses and reporting from Kidder Volunteer Fire Company. We have made big changes to address these problems and we have discovered some discrepancies having to do with our treasury."Devine said the former fire chief William Bresnak, has been removed and is no longer associated with the fire company. Robert Hill has been named the new president of the fire company.Bresnak's telephone is unlisted and attempts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful."When we met with the supervisors we asked them to give us six months to rectify the discrepancies, instead they acted Thursday night to punish us," Devine said.According to Hill, whenever a tone goes out for a commercial building in that area, all three Kidder Township fire companies are automatically dispatched."Since Lake Harmony is automatically called out anyway, there is no valid reason to take this area away from us," added Hill.Devine said, "We are taking legal steps to recover any funds that are missing."Kidder Township Police Chief, Matthew Kuzma commented Friday. "It is too early in our investigation to make any statements at this time."Both Kidder Township Chairman Robert Lengle and Supervisor Larry Polansky are on the Lake Harmony Volunteer Fire Company Board of Directors.