Franklin Twp. fire chief, assistant chief, charged with disorderly conduct

BY JAMES LOEWENSTEIN (STAFF WRITER)
Published: February 2, 2010

Article Tools
Font size: [A] [A] [A]
Sign Up newsletter

Franklin Township Fire Chief Donald Stranger Sr. and Franklin Township Assistant Fire Chief Dale Douglas Stranger have been charged with disorderly conduct following a fire that destroyed the assistant chief's house on Sunday.

Dale Stranger, 35, of Monroeton was charged with a third-degree misdemeanor of disorderly conduct, while the fire chief was charged with the summary offense of disorderly conduct, the state police at Towanda said in a press release that they issued on Monday.

A third firefighter at the scene - William J. Haney, 35, of Monroeton - was also charged with the summary offense of disorderly conduct, state police said.

The fire took place in the village of Powell in Monroe Township, which is the jurisdiction of the Monroe Hose Company, so Monroe Hose Company Fire Chief Paul Bump was in charge of the fire fighting operations at the scene, said Richard Vargson, second assistant fire chief of the Monroe Hose Company.

State police said they were summoned to the scene by Vargson at 2:46 p.m., because Dale Stranger was interfering with fire personnel performing their official duties, according to the press release.

Dale Stranger "was not satisfied with the manner they (the Monroe Hose Company) was putting out the fire," state Trooper Ben Bigus said.

Dale Stranger was yelling and shouting at the firefighters on scene and "had to be detained by fire personnel on scene," Bigus said.

"It was getting out of hand," Vargson said, explaining why he called in the police. "I just wanted him (Dale Stranger) to calm down or leave" so that firefighters could continue to put out the fire without interference, Vargson sad.

Vargson said he feels bad for Dale Stranger, because he lost everything he owned in the fire, but said that he shouldn't have gotten "all irate" at the firefighters.

State police said that after they arrived on scene, they ordered Dale Stranger to cease his actions.

Dale Stranger "again became disorderly and was taken into custody" after two TASERS were used on him, the state police said in their press release.

Donald Stranger, 61, of Monroeton, who is the chief of the Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Company, "became disorderly after failing to comply with orders from the state police," the press release said.

Donald Stranger "became argumentative with the state police and had to be detained," Bigus said.

Haney was cited for disorderly conduct after he "entered an unmarked police cruiser without authorization to speak with Donald Stranger," the press release said.

Haney is a firefighter with both the Monroe Hose Company and the Franklin Township Fire Company.

Donald Stranger and Haney both refused to listen to what the state police were telling them to do, Bigus said. The fire was an emergency situation, and people need to obey the police at such a scene "to maintain the safety and security of the scene," Bigus said.

"The situation was starting to get volatile," Bigus said. "We had to tell people what to do, and they didn't listen. The situation could have gotten much more out of hand if we had not detained the people we detained."

Haney declined to comment at this time on what happened at the fire.

Donald Stranger, who is the father of Dale Stranger, said he had been advised by his attorney not to comment on what happened.

However, the fire chief did say that Haney did not go inside the police cruiser, but was outside the cruiser and had talked to him through an open window of the vehicle.

The fire chief said that after the court proceedings in the case are over, he would issue a press release about what happened.

"There were a lot of things that were said and done (by the state police at the scene) that should not have happened," the fire chief said.

Chief Bump had said the fire had started as an electrical problem with the home's furnace. The fire is not considered suspicious, fire officials said.

Anyone with information about the disorderly conduct incident is asked to call the state police in Towanda at (570) 265-2186 and ask for Trooper Bigus.

Attempts by The Daily Review to reach Dale Stranger were unsuccessful.

James Loewenstein can be reached at (570) 265-1633; or e-mail: jloewenstein@thedailyreview.com.

Ads by Yahoo!






Type in the characters you see in the picture below. If you have trouble reading the characters in the picture, click it to see a new one.



12Next »

32 posted comments

Pete, I absolutely have dealt with the state police when my children were threatened by a punk with a gun and knife. They were quick and thorough, and made an arrest within minutes. They treated my son and daughter with respect and believed their story, even when I thought they had to be exaggerating. I have also faced state police in district court a couple times, and whether I won or lost, I always felt I was treated with respect. Maybe things have changed, as none of my confrontations with the police have happened in the last ten years. But I always found them to be totally professional, and felt that they saw their role as a public servant. I afforded them the same respect they gave me, and it has always served me well.
Report
not always so innocent,  02/05/10 1:31
Innocent, Your barking up the wrong tree. I don't get tickets because I don't speed, I have never been in trouble with the law because I don't do anything illegal. You obviously have never had to rely on the police for your safety or the safety of your children. I'm glad you have never seen the bad side of our local State Police that means you have never experienced the disappointment.
Report
Pete,  02/05/10 9:53
I totally agree with shutting them down as the only option. They've had multiple chances to receive the same training as every other department, but failed to do so. Their two top officers in command, had to be apprehended by the police because they couldn't control their emotions and got out of control. They should be shut down until they get the proper training, before someone gets killed or seriously hurt.
Report  (Reported!)
Get Training!,  02/04/10 6:05
Pete, You have obviously had some bad experiences with the state police. I have never found them to be anything but courteous, professional, and usually very helpful. I have never witnessed any abuse of power or attempt to trample my rights. Maybe it is because I give them absoulte respect, that over forty-five years of driving, I have sailed away from any number of legitimate stops for violations with nothing more than a warning, where they had every right to cite and fine me and place points on my license. Some violations they simply can't ignore, but they have some leeway in how stiff they can make the penalties. I recommend you try my way. Your opinion of them may change.
Report
not always so innocent,  02/04/10 3:09
Innocent, State Police are just as able to take away your rights or abuse their power. You might find by grabbing your neck you might soon after be grabbing your ankles.
Report
Pete,  02/04/10 12:21
Pete; State Police should not be confused with federal government. They are state employees. If our army starts to try to run things, in the absence of a national disaster, I'll be the first one to grab my gun. With our state police I'll grab the back of my neck.
Report
innocent bystander,  02/03/10 1:20
Innocent Bystander; You are absolutly right that worked wonders in Germany in the late 30's and early 40's.
Report
Pete,  02/03/10 12:18
leave it to an uneducated buffoon from "Roeton" to comment about the police's use of tasers being "unexcuseable." educate yourself before making such an ignorant, biased statement.
Report
educated person not from roeton,  02/03/10 11:46
This is just a very sad situation. Prayers to everyone involved, and I hope people will calm down, step back, and try to be as compassionate as possible.
Report
Saddened,  02/03/10 9:15
Many years ago it was common for fire companies to fight it out at a fire scene to see who would have the "right" to put out the fire. This led to inter-company competitions at fairs and old home day celebrations. It also led to designation of companies with primary responsibilities for certain geographic areas. I don't know what happened to the competitions that used to be so common throughout the county all summer long. Do they still happen? I can understand how someone would be distraught watching his house burn down, but few people in this county have more experience in fire fighting than Paul Bump. As difficult as it must have been for them at the time, the Stranger family should have let the Monroe Company do their job.
Report
ex volunteer,  02/03/10 8:49
One only needs to head down Route 414 and have the members of this fire company scream obscenities at you for not putting money in their boot when they are fundraising. This year on my way to the Apple and Cheese festival, I was without small bills so I planned on donating on the way back through. NEVER again after my daughter was subjected to the filth screamed at me from the couple standing in the road.
Report
Bob from Plains,  02/03/10 2:39
Kathy,
It isn't a competition, He was a mutual aid company, Regardless of how dept. 22 thinks the fire world is run, there is structure, and they completely ignored it because of emotion, good thing no one got killed, and good thing there were trained fire personnel there. And if you don't agree with this buy a scanner and listen or better yet go to one of dept 22's calls. They scream and are hyper and emotional for a tree down.
Report
Really? Close them Down.,  02/02/10 11:20
To: not trusting them to help, 02/02/10 11:54

Ya we are all offered the same training, but Most departments (22) Do not take it. I would have the state audit their training records.... The department would be shut down and the community would then be safer.

Report
FF1,  02/02/10 11:17
When state police intervene, regardless of circumstances, they must be obeyed totally and immediately. Possible responses are, Yes sir, no sir, and I don't know sir. Anyone who doesn't respond immediately and completely with their orders deserves to be Tasered, and Tasered again if necessary. There can be no argument, compromise, or difference of opinion. On the scene in Pa. they have and should have the authority of God. Immediate and unquestioned compliance with their directives is the only acceptable course of action. I understand that a man could be distraught if his house was burning down. If the police want to take that into consideration, they do so at their own risk. I wouldn't presume to tell a fireman how to fight a fire at my house any more than I would try to tell a surgeon how to do my heart bypass surgery. Volunteer fire companies across the country are having difficulty recruiting new members. Incidents like this one don't help their cause.
Report  (Reported!)
innocent bystander,  02/02/10 5:53
as a firefighter i have seen this from both aspects volunteer and paid position. As a volunteer i was worked on an interior crew at the house of my captain. Having my captain as the incident commander was the best thing. He knew how the house was built the layout and what needed to be done he was able to stay somewhat calm but he became agitated at times with the mutual aid departments because that's not how they do it. Everybody has their own way if its working why impede. As a paid guy going to the chief's house is a different story worst call i have ever taken part of. I DON'T AGREE WITH THE TAZING OF A FIRE OFFICIAL THAT WAS EMOTIONALLY DISTRAUGHT.
Report  (Reported!)
DD722,  02/02/10 4:01
1) For those who seem to have a problem with how the police handled the situation: The next time someone is breaking into your house, call a methhead, see how that works for you. 2) As far as the taser is concerned, the alternative to that is blunt force weapons such as batons or clubs. Take your pick. In case you haven't noticed, a lot of police are getting killed in PA lately. They do not get paid enough to repeatedly ask grown adults nicely to behave at risk to their own safety. If verbal commands, uniform, big hats, flashing lights, and handcuffs aren't don't get the point across, tasers are the next step. 3) To those who think the police should "keep their mits out of it"; had the police allowed the situation to escalate and someone had gotten hurt, you would have been the guy (or lady) saying, "All the police did is stand there, they didn't do anything just let people get hurt."
4) Unfortunately, volunteer firemen, largely undeservingly, are often labled as being unprofessional, untrained, over-zealous, cowboys who want nothing more to drive fast with a flashing blue light on their vehicle. While this is mostly untrue, this situation certainly serves to reinforce this stereotype. I'll echo the thoughts of some earlier comments, "Nice job guys!"
Report
Scranton Firemen,  02/02/10 3:50
Anyone who wasnt there shouldnt be commenting on what they "know". The strangers were in the wrong plain and simple. Even his own brother told him he needed to back off and get a grip! The police were right to remove them. The call went smooth after the troublemakers were gone. This is just the tip of the iceberg with that department. They are not calm and collected as others have claimed. Have you ever heard them on the radio or watched them on a scene? It would be comical if it wasnt an emergency. Their members have personal issues with every call they go on and they dont cooperate with anyone. They have little to no training and are frequently unable to complete simple tasks without the help of other departments. For the few calls they run on their own, its complete chaos. The township should seriously see this as a red flag and consider shutting the entire department down so the community can be protected by the nearby competent departments who almost always have to clean up franklindales messes anyway.
Report
in the know,  02/02/10 3:31
Russ- Would you have preferred that the police used fists, batons, or a knee on the head into the pavement? Stranger was OUT OF CONTROL and VIOLENT. Then the elder stranger and haney just made everything worse. The taser brought a quick and harmless end to a bad situation. The police did their job perfectly. Ask any of the real firefighters who were there. Just because it was his house, and just because they're officers of a neighboring fire department DOESNT give them the right to interfere with the other departments. But this is common for the franklindale fire department... they compensate for their incompetence using emotion and sheer stupidity.
By the way, getting tasered actually is part of taser training for police.
Report
real firefighter,  02/02/10 12:24
Okay, come on people. Any firefighter that knows his job, knows that a fire victim is the first person you need to keep away from the scene. Simply because it is their home, and emotions will be very high. Just because this home was a firefighter's home, it does not mean that the company should respond more efficiently. The company should respond the same to every fire scene. I read the same article that everyone else read in the paper, and I'm sure there are a lot of things that happened that are not in this story. I don't think anybody should be judging anybody else, until all the facts are known. I am truly sorry about the loss this man suffered, but he needs to think about the fireman's responsisbility on scene. He has been there on his own fire scenes enough to know that the firefighters are under enough stress while fighting a fire. They don't need the added stress that this whole scene caused them.
Report
Sarah,  02/02/10 12:21
I would be more concerned about having the fire put out at my house, not WHICH company was putting it out! OMG are you people serious? When people are interfeering in an emergency situation it is AGAINST THE LAW! This just shows the mentality of the Bradford County residents! Way to go!
Report
Citizen,  02/02/10 11:55
12Next »