MERIDIAN - The Village of Meridian accepted the Town of Cato's fire contract at Monday night's meeting.

Village trustees resolved unanimously to have the mayor sign the contract with minor corrections: Fire District No. 1 was mentioned without the word “North” in several places, and dates had to be adjusted. The mayor will confer with the town supervisor.

On Dec. 2, Cato awarded the contract to Meridian Fire Department for Fire District No.1 North, 4-1, with Gerald Hunter opposed.

Fire District No. 1 North will be served by Meridian for $40,209. Jordan Fire Department will cover the southern half of that district for $39,647.

Compared to Cato and Jordan, Meridian has the least number of active firefighters with 25, although 75 people have signed up, Robert Perrotta Sr., president of the Meridian Fire Department, said.

Now it has four interior firefighters, Amed Perrotta, Meridian Fire Chief, said.

One firefighter, lacking an updated physical, completed it in November. Interior firefighters are required to have yearly physicals.

Meridian's training figures and paperwork have improved from last year, but getting specialized classes remains a problem.

“We don't ask our members to drive any farther than Auburn to attend classes,” Robert Perrotta Sr. said.

He noted that several Meridian firemen need a scene support class.

“We turn in a wish list,” he said, “but in three years we didn't get a single class.”

Brian Dahl, Cayuga County Emergency Management Director, is the person in charge of arranging the classes, he said.

“The pumps run monthly and are tested yearly,” Amed Perrotta said. “All equipment is up to par where it should be for test levels.”

Last year, Meridian lost its contract with Cato. Problems began with 2007 contract negotiations, when the town board froze Meridian's payment at $64,000 because of insufficient financial records.

At that time, Meridian covered all of District 1, north of Meridian to the Seneca River.

After a year, Meridian's bid still lacked necessary inspection and testing records for equipment and Cato replaced Meridian's contract for one with the Cato Fire Department in District No.1 North, and with the Jordan Fire Department in District 1 South.

With the help of fund-raisers, Meridian Fire Department continued to serve the village of Meridian under contract for 2008, but it lost 70 percent of its income without Cato's contract.

Linda J. Chapman and Ronald L. Dennison, two of three councilors against keeping Meridian last year, were replaced by W. Irving Foster (D) and Stefan J. (Stuffy) House (D).

House was an outspoken supporter and voted for the Meridian contract this time around, as did Foster.

The village board is now reviewing applications from new volunteers.

They had a list of four: Charles Smith (honorary firefighter at age 78), Kenneth Cobb and junior firefighter applicants Christopher Raymer and Cassandra Terpening.

“Once the contract is settled,” Perrotta Sr. said, “we're hoping to get more people.”

“They'll have more confidence,” Mayor Edward Epprecht said.

The fire department's contract with the Village of Meridian for $6,400, is up for renewal in March.

It supplements its income with fund-raisers, including a barbecue at the Cayuga County Fair.

“We cooked 1,000 chicken halves this year,” Robert Perrotta Sr. said. Now in the process of organizing his 2009 list of fund-raisers, he says he needs more volunteer chicken flippers.

Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253=5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net