According to the Borough administration, Plum’s volunteer firefighters were always covered by insurance in case they were harmed while responding to a call.

The annual workers’ compensation insurance covering the borough’s four fire departments was due from the borough, according to borough manager Michael Thomas, but the policy was still in place.

Due to the borough administration moving to the new municipal center and the state’s mail not being forwarded, according to him, the payment was missed.

On Tuesday, employees from the Holiday Park, Logans Ferry, Renton, and Unity divisions excused themselves from duty for around six hours with the knowledge that the insurance had run out. During that period, mutual aid agreements allow fire departments from other municipalities to safeguard Plum from fires.

According to Thomas, if a fireman had been hurt while on the job, workers’ compensation would have covered it. “Much ado about nothing is a Shakespearean drama that sums up the entire situation, he said. ” My staff members and some people in the fire departments” were at odds over language. They had already fired the gun when everything started to flip over and catch fire. “It’s just that simple,” he noted

However, Unity Volunteer Fire Department Vice President Morgan McIlrath stated once more on Wednesday that they received a call from the borough informing them that the coverage had expired since the policy had not been paid.

She said, “All we know is what the borough told us”. “We never would have alarmed the public if there wasn’t a reason to.”

The coverage period is from January 1 to December 31. According to him, the municipality receives a $9,000 to $10,000 “front-end loaded bill” in December and pays the remaining debt every month the rest of the year.

According to Thomas, SWIF mails the invoice, and the borough pays it with a check. According to Thomas, it is not handled electronically or via email.

In December, that first invoice is often received and paid.

However, Thomas claimed that since the borough had relocated its offices and the state does not forward mail, it was instead sent back to the state, leaving borough personnel without a bill to file.

Thomas argued that it is unfair to anticipate that staff members would have noticed given the volume of bills the municipality processes.

When contacted for comment on Wednesday, a representative from the Department of Labor & Industry was unable to address the issue quickly.

Thomas claimed that on January 4, Plum’s insurance agent told the borough that the payment was past due. On that day, a check was written, approved by the council during its meeting on Monday, and delivered the following day by overnight delivery to the state.

“However, in the interim, because SWIF hadn’t received the payment yet, the term that I guess my staff used with firemen is ‘the policy has lapsed,’ which is technically accurate,” he said. “However, you have 30 days within which to pay the premium. Once paid, any claims back to Jan. 1 are valid and covered.”

Thomas claimed that neither the borough nor any departments were ever informed that there was no workers’ compensation coverage or that they should cease operations. Nevertheless, rumors that the insurance had expired started to circulate in the neighborhood.

“On our end, we were not panicked at all,” he said. “We knew this was not a problem.”

Thomas claimed that the municipality obtained 24-hour rider coverage with another carrier to calm concerns. He was unable to provide the cost.

Between the time the payment was due and when it was made, no injuries were reported, according to Thomas.

Fire and rescue teams from neighboring municipalities responded to at least two calls, including the rescue of a woman who had fallen off a hillside at Logans Ferry.

Thomas reported that the borough has contacted state representatives to have SWIF accept electronic payments.

Technology can easily solve problems of this nature, he claimed.

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