A $125,000.00 rescue squad vehicle that was delivered to the Norton Fire Department late last month was placed in storage pending the outcome of administrative hearings. An article in the Akron Beacon Journal  reports that the Norton Volunteer Fireman’s Association, which raised money to purchase the equipment, has not been able to make delivery to the city because of concerns by Attorney General Marc Dann’s office about the group’s charitable status. Dann’s primary concern is that not all members of the volunteer fireman’s association are volunteers, creating an issue under the charitable gaming laws. Additionally, the Norton Volunteer Fireman’s Association doesn’t contribute exclusively to the Norton Volunteer Fire Department, potentially creating more issues. A hearing is scheduled for May 30th.

After initial confusion, the Attorney General’s Office made it clear that even though the bingo group remained under investigation, Dann would not object to delivery of the truck and, in fact, had never originally objected to the delivery. Norton’s Fire Department received its new equipment last week at a ceremony at the station house.