2006 News

October 18, 2006

Bucks County Commissioners Visit Bensalem Senior Center for
Bi-Monthly Meeting

The Bucks County Commissioners ventured to the county’s most populous municipality today, conducting their regular bi-monthly meeting at the Bensalem Twp. Senior Center.

Before unanimously approving resolutions for 14 different departments, including eight under the aegis of Children and Youth, commissioners James F. Cawley, Esq., Charles H. Martin and Sandra A. Miller issued a proclamation designating Oct 21-22 as “Pumpkinfest” and one very special letter of commendation to county Consumer Protection Director Michael D. Bannon.

Lauding Bannon for his heroic actions of Oct. 10 – during which he helped rescue a mother and two young children from an Upper Southampton apartment fire – the commissioners singled out Bannon’s commitment to “follow his personal instincts to help others.”

Bannon also received a certificate of valor from Bucks County Fire Marshal Nicholas E. Rafferty, who thanked him for his willingness to assist a family in obvious distress.

“I learned just how important it is what our firefighters do,” Bannon told a gathering that included his proud family: wife, Linda, and children, Brett and Michelle. “I have a new appreciation for the people who put tanks on their back and masks on their face. I am honored for the attention I am getting today.”

Following Bannon’s well-deserved moment in the spotlight, the commissioners approved a recommendation from the Bucks County Public Safety Work Group to adopt the vision and mission statement supporting interdisciplinary coordination, cooperation and communication among all county public safety entities. According to Chief Operating Officer David M. Sanko, during his report to the commissioners, the work group met five times before forwarding its recommendation. It included representatives from Corrections, Emergency Management, police, fire and EMS departments, as well as other public and private sector agencies.

The public safety resolution was particularly timely, following closely on the heels of the Oct. 11 Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Counterterrorism Task Force Tri-State Preparedness Symposium. The symposium was coordinated by Bucks County Emergency Management Director John D. Dougherty, who also serves as regional task force chairman.

“The southeastern region of the state is well ahead of other parts of Pennsylvania (in terms of both inter-county cooperation and readiness),” Sanko explained, praising Dougherty for his leadership. “We are well-positioned.”

That spirit of cooperation extends to each of Bucks County’s 54 municipalities, as Bensalem Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo reiterated during brief introductory remarks to the meeting.

“It’s a team effort throughout the county, people working together,” DiGirolamo said after Cawley invited him to the microphone. “We are successful in Bensalem because we are part of that team.”

In adjacent Bristol Twp., the Neighborhood First Program, Inc. strives to “hold kids accountable for their behavior to victims” by providing intensive mentoring and monitoring services and competency training. Recognizing that mission, which includes after-school and weekend programs that save “exorbitant” amounts of money in Juvenile Detention Center costs, the commissioners approved a one-year resolution to provide funding to Neighborhood First.

Sanko’s bi-weekly report also included an update on the BUCKS VOTES education initiative, which continues to reach out to every pocket of the county’s electorate. The chief operating officer stressed the importance of remembering to press the green “VOTE” button before exiting the new Danaher ELECTronic 1242 machine on Nov. 7, General Election day.

Additionally, Sanko reminded residents of the upcoming pandemic flu exercise to be conducted at three locations throughout the county – one in lower, one in central and one in upper Bucks. One of the locations will feature a drive-through inoculation center, and all three will provide a template for a pandemic-type vaccine distribution.

“We want to show our citizens that if something bad happened really quickly, we have the ability … to save lives,” Sanko said. So far, over 150 non-medical volunteers and nearly 120 medical volunteers throughout Bucks County have received training for the drill, which will be held on a yet-to-be announced Saturday in November.

After the commissioners presented the Pumpkinfest proclamation to the Pat Donchez of the Bucks County Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Donchez invited the public to attend this weekend’s 15 th anniversary Pumpkinfest, to be held on the grounds of Doylestown’s Moravian Pottery and Tile Works. Proceeds from the annual event – which features incredible giant pumpkin carvings – benefit Bucks County residents who “deal with addiction in their lives.”