Hempfield lifts probation for West Point Volunteer Fire Department

The West Point Volunteer Fire Department will be taken off probation for the first time in more than two years following a unanimous vote by the Hempfield supervisors this week.

Hempfield fire Chief Anthony Kovacic recommended the move.

Kovacic said the department missed five calls over the last seven months. In the same time frame, some volunteers have responded to 20-25 calls, he said.

“We’ve been talking the last couple of months and working with (West Point), and I believe at this point in time, we’re to the point where we can look to lift that probation,” Kovacic said. “That situation is finally starting to correct itself.”

Kovacic commended the department for recruiting new members, increasing its training hours and maintaining a good relationship with Hempfield Station 2 — which is now a “sister company” to West Point, said Lt. Miles Webb Jr.

Continuing to recruit new members will be a focus of the department moving forward, Webb said.

The department recruited and trained four new members during the probation period. There are about eight to 10 active members, Webb said.

The department receives about 500 calls per year ranging from West Point to Greensburg to Dry Ridge, Webb said. All departments are required to respond to 80% of the calls they receive.

Another challenge of the probation was the loss of township funding. The township allocates $16,000 to each volunteer fire department per year, Webb said, but this was withheld during the probation.

“We’re just glad that it’s finally been lifted,” he said. “It’s been a long two years.”

Township Secretary William Bretz said he hopes the department can recruit new members now that the “cloud” of probation has been lifted.

“I’d like to thank all those that have worked so hard for the last few years to get the West Point Volunteer Fire Department reinstated and off probation,” Bretz said. “This isn’t a destination but a milestone here, and the hard part will be to maintain the level of service that you have obtained here over the past many months.”

The department was put on probation in June 2021 due to resignation or transfer of three members, including the chief, and a failure to respond to 81 calls in the first half of the year.

A corrective action plan was put into place, but the department was kept on probation at the reassessment point in November 2021, citing low response rates and a decrease in volunteer firefighters.

From July to November 2021, the department responded to 11 of 137 calls.

Improvement was noticed by township officials in March 2022, but the probation was kept in place. From January to March 2022, the department responded to 33 out of 55 calls.

The High Park Volunteer Fire Department, which was put on probation in June 2022 due to personnel issues, was not discussed at the meeting.

In accordance with the Hempfield Fire Department service agreement, High Park had 30 days to create a corrective action plan and an additional 90 days to implement the plan.

Kovacic said there are no updates on High Park’s status at this time. The department could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Natural gas detectors a possibility

Kovacic followed up on a discussion regarding natural gas detectors from Wednesday’s meeting.

Supervisor John Silvis mentioned the tool in light of the Plum house explosion that occurred earlier this month.

“Plum Borough is like a sister community to Hempfield,” Silvis said. “If we can do something to prevent what happened, we should be very proactive and proceed.”

Kovacic said he will look into grant funding to purchase the detectors.

Comprehensive plan vote moved

A vote on the township’s comprehensive plan was moved to allow time for additional edits, said Director of Planning and Zoning Patrick Karnash.

The comprehensive plan maps out the township’s priorities for the next 10 to 15 years. The plan’s goals include improving township signage, expanding sidewalks and trails, removing blighted property, developing available property on Route 30, preserving greenspace and evaluating the quality of municipal services.

The plan will be voted on at next month’s meeting, Karnash said. It will take place at 7 p.m. on Sept. 25 in the township municipal building.