A fresh face for firefighters: Refurbishment of North Hempfield station underway

A nearly 50-year-old fire station along Route 66 in Hempfield will have a new facade — and a completely refurbished interior — by mid-autumn.

Renovations at the North Hempfield Volunteer Fire Department Station 501 started in May and are projected to be complete by the end of October.

The township is working with contractors to redo the inside and exterior of the building, bringing the 1977 facility up to code and introducing new amenities and safety features for the station’s volunteer firefighters.

The $1.8 million rehabilitation is centered around the first station to become a chartered member of the Hempfield Township Fire Department in 2021.

It’s the second major fire department project to be undertaken in the township in recent years, as the fire department headquarters next to the municipal building was finished earlier this year.

Supervisors chairman George Reese said the North Hempfield renovation is only the start of projected improvements for the fire department.

“It’s the beginning of what will be happening across the township in years to come. … The supervisors are interested in doing more,” Reese said, emphasizing the supervisors’ commitment to supporting volunteer firefighting in the township. “The locations are not yet verified, but there is a possibility that there will be other stations built or renovated across the township as time goes on.”

Township Manager Aaron Siko said the project is on an accelerated timeline to finish before Oct. 31.

“We’re working with some very good contractors here that are keeping this project going,” he said. “The facility is a full interior and exterior rehabilitation. It includes moving walls, and the floor plan will be totally different than what it was. (It’s) updating the entire facility to meet today’s codes and standards for construction.”

Upcoming upgrades

The project started May 1 by removing asbestos-related components of the building. After the first week, contractors dug in to renovate the inside.

While work is done on the building, the station’s fire trucks and equipment are being housed in a temporary structure next door.

“They’ve gotten a lot accomplished in a little bit of time,” said Fire Chief and Director of Emergency Services Anthony Kovacic.

The building has gone through different forms in its 46-year history, according to Kovacic. At one point, it contained a banquet hall that was used for fundraisers, along with a social area with a bar.

The new and improved version of the station converts some of those rooms to a firefighting and training focus. The former banquet hall will house a classroom and weight and gym room, Kovacic said, and dorm quarters for firefighters who stay at the station.

About 18 to 20 firefighters work out of the North Hempfield location, according to station Capt. Chad Stoup.

The new layout of the inside of the building will allow gear and equipment to be stored in a separate room from the fire engines, making decontamination easier and safer, Kovacic said.

Keeping equipment clean is a priority because firefighters often come into contact with cancer-causing products of combustion at fires, he explained.

“It’s very important that, if we’re exposed to that, we get rid of it, not just on our body. We want to make sure that we have an opportunity for these folks to shower and clean before they go home — we don’t want them to take that home,” he said. “The gear they have is exposed, too. We want to make sure it is laundered correctly, and dried and appropriate for our next response. What we don’t want is for it to be contaminated and to put that contaminated gear back on to go to another incident.”

Kovacic hopes that modernizing the building will help garner interest in the department.

“It’s inviting, and we’re hoping we’re going to have the community buy-in, where folks are looking at a very modern, clean facility and want to be part of it,” he said. “We’re hoping these improvements help our recruitment as well.”

This story has been updated to reflect the correct spelling for Capt. Chad Stoup.