Hempfield buys 2 new fire trucks

Two new fire trucks were recently added to Hempfield Fire Department’s fleet of vehicles.

Older trucks at fire stations in Adamsburg and Bovard were replaced by Sutphen SL75 Mid-Mount Aerial Ladder trucks, which can fight fires in residential, commercial and industrial buildings.

The trucks, which cost $860,000 each, bring an additional safety measure to the township, said fire Chief Anthony Kovacic, who noted that the Carbon fire station already has a ladder truck.

“This investment by Hempfield Township will further bolster the emergency service capabilities of our fire department for our residents, businesses and neighbors in the Hempfield area,” the township’s website reads.

Officials have worked over the past year to combine the township’s 12 stations under one department. The move came ahead of a New Jersey-based Insurance Services Office Inc. rating, or ISO, which takes staffing and response times into account for its score.

Over the year, supervisors have voted to name Kovacic fire chief, John Storey Jr. as deputy fire chief and laid groundwork for training requirements and the purchase of equipment.