Hempfield supervisors delay vote to advertise part-time fire department driver position

Hempfield supervisors are holding on hiring a paid, part-time driver for the fire department.

The township set aside $81,000 in its budget this year to potentially hire four part-time drivers for the fire department, primarily to assist during daylight hours.

Candidates for the position must be able to perform fire suppression methods, rescue those in danger from fire and other hazardous environments, provide care to the ill and injured, provide public fire safety education and complete routine fire station duties — including cleaning, maintenance and repair of property and equipment.

Supervisors Tom Logan and George Reese, treasurer Jay Anderson and vice chairman Bill Bretz voted to table a vote to advertise the job. Chairman Doug Weimer opposed the delay.

Logan, who made the motion, suggested the vote be held after the township’s meeting with its 10 fire stations set for 9 a.m. on March 9 at the municipal building.

The meeting will focus on having fire stations managed by the township. Hempfield recently renewed its push to encourage its stations to become nonchartered, meaning all of their expenses would be paid by the township.

The stations are not required to become nonchartered.

“I’ve had several firemen approach me, and they’re not in favor of this,” Logan said of the part-time driver position. “I think we need to get a better flavor from the volunteers as to what their thoughts are. Hopefully, they’ll come forward at the fire forum.”

Reese supported the motion to table, saying he would like to hear from the volunteer firefighters before approving the position.

“We’re trending toward a paid fire department in the eyes of some people. I have no interest in a paid fire department,” Reese said. “I’m not opposed to the idea (of hiring a driver). I just want to hear more from our firefighters, our guys who are doing it. I think it’s a good idea to wait. One month isn’t going to make a big difference.”

Hempfield Fire Department Chief Anthony Kovacic said the driver position is meant to support the stations’ emergency response rate during the day. The department has seen fewer volunteers available to respond to calls during daylight hours, he said.

This January, the fire department responded to 250 emergency calls, 133 of which came in between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. In 2023, the highest number of failed responses to emergency calls came between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. for all but two of the stations — Adamsburg and Bovard.

Weimer said he feels it is important to approve the driver position for reasons of public safety.

“I think that we have been talking about deficits in running calls and the need for addressing that. We are responsible for public safety as elected members here, so I certainly am not going to jeopardize that in waiting a month for anything to occur in which we could have gotten this process started sooner,” he said. “I don’t even think this will be filled within a month.”

The supervisors will revisit the vote at 7 p.m. on March 25 at the municipal building, 1132 Woodward Drive.