Hempfield's High Park firefighters have to decide from 3 options, chief says

After responding to one of 53 emergency calls in the last quarter of 2023, members of the High Park Volunteer Fire Department in Hempfield have a month to decide their fate.

The fire department can go under township management, merge with a neighboring station or dissolve, fire Chief Anthony Kovacic said at a township supervisors meeting Monday.

Township officials met with members of High Park on Jan. 8 to discuss the station’s options. This was the first response Hempfield received from High Park since the township sent a letter to the station in July.

The letter detailed the station’s probationary status, which has been in place since 2022 for failure to respond to calls.

“Since 2022, the High Park firefighters and officers have navigated administrative and operational challenges. Their journey has been fraught with obstacles from financial constraints to difficulties in meeting township standards.

Despite these hurdles, the longtime dedication and efforts of the volunteer firefighters at High Park have been commendable,” Kovacic said.

Regardless of High Park’s path, the Hempfield Fire Department is prepared to maintain a good emergency response, Kovacic said.

High Park is one of 11 volunteer fire departments in the township. A forum is planned for March to discuss more of the departments managed by the township instead of individual charters.

“As we consider these options, our focus remains steadfast on the best outcomes for public safety and the welfare of our community,” Kovacic said.

High Park notified Kovacic on Friday that Columbia Gas would shut off natural gas services to the station effective Monday due to an unpaid bill. The gas company granted the township a 30-day extension on the payment to make sure the station’s infrastructure and assets would be protected from the cold weather, township Manager Aaron Siko said.

High Park submitted six unpaid bills Jan. 12 for the township to address, Siko said.

“Those are not bills that we would normally pay for any other station, unless they were under our consolidation of the Hempfield Fire Department,” Siko said.

Kovacic has not received a response from High Park about meeting to select one of its three options. An update on the station’s decision will be provided at the supervisors’ meeting Feb. 21, he said.

The station has not provided any indication of which option firefighters favor, Siko said.

“For the most part,” he said, “they were not very receptive to any of (the options), however, that’s certainly a question for their administration.”

Supervisor Doug Weimer spoke on behalf of the board in support of the Hempfield Fire Department.

“Let it be known that this board is in complete support of saving the volunteer fire system and, of course, utmost and foremost is the continued protection of the community, its residents and its firefighters,” Weimer said. “I think we’re continuing to do everything we possibly can to preserve the fire service in the township.”