The High Park Volunteer Fire Department in Hempfield was put on probation this week, a decision township leaders attributed to personnel issues.

Supervisors unanimously voted to place the Baughman Avenue station on a 30-day probation, pending the receipt of a corrective action plan. High Park is now the second Hempfield fire station to be put on probation, following West Point Volunteer Fire Company, which has held that status since last year.

“We have had some recent personnel issues that has led to this,” township Manager Jason Winters said of High Park during Monday’s supervisors meeting. “The corrective action plan is for the rest of the station to how they’re going to move forward after the recent personnel concerns that we have had.”

Officials declined to go into further details. High Park did not return calls seeking comment.

The township is able to put a station on probation if they are no longer considered in good standing, as laid out in service agreements signed by township fire stations last year. The station has 30 days to submit a corrective action plan.

Township fire Chief Tony Kovacic will now work with the station to draft a corrective action plan with the goal of addressing ongoing problems.

“There’s some deficiencies and some issues that have come up,” Kovacic said. “We’re going to try to work with them to address that problem moving forward.”

George Reese, chairman of the board of supervisors, said the probationary period is an opportunity for the township to work with High Park on necessary training and to provide them with a better understanding of the Hempfield Fire Department command structure.

“It ties into the understanding of the command structure,” Reese said. “That’s why we’re going to take full advantage of the probation period to provide them a true understanding of it. … It’s going to strengthen them, it’s going to make them better.”

The township is also working with West Point, which was put on probation last July because of staffing issues and response times. Several initiatives have been put in place to help bolster those numbers.

West Point will remain on probation until it reaches benchmarks laid out in service agreements, Kovacic said in March.

“There is some improvement,” Kovacic said of West Point. “We’re going to continue to monitor that.”

Reese said he does not have any concerns over the two fire stations being on probation.

“It won’t be the first or second and it won’t be the last,” Reese said. “It’s part of the nature of the volunteer fire service.”

He said residents should not be concerned.

“I don’t want to alarm the residents,” he said. “They’re not failing, they’re struggling. There’s a difference.”

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