Hempfield officials working to improve response of West Point's volunteer firefighters

Since July 1, Hempfield’s West Point Volunteer Fire Company received 137 calls for service. It responded to 11.

The station, like fire companies across the state, is struggling with low response rates and a dwindling number of volunteer firefighters. In an attempt to reverse those numbers, West Point has spent more than 100 days on probation and submitted a corrective action plan. But township leaders said the plan is not working.

The severity of the situation was highlighted last month when the Hempfield Fire Department was called to a house fire on Newport Drive.

According to fire Chief Tony Kovacic, West Point did not respond — aside from one firefighter.

“It’s unfortunate and disturbing that the home company in that neighborhood did not respond,” Supervisor Tom Logan said. “I consider that to be unacceptable; that’s an unacceptable situation for that to happen. I don’t see how we move forward supporting them with township resources if they can’t help to protect their own community.”

Kovacic is creating a different action plan for the station that supervisors will review this month.

“They’ve had their 90-plus days, they submitted a plan of their own and nothing really came of it,” said board Chairman George Reese. “Between now and the end of the year we’ll be acting … to try to turn this around.”

West Point Volunteer Fire Company President Jessie Webb Zemba said last week she had not yet heard from the township.

“We’re just kind of up in the air right now,” she said. “We’re trying to make as many calls as we can and do what we can with the firemen that we have.”

According to Zemba, the station has 16 active and social members. The number has not changed since West Point was put on probation in July.

The township is able to put a station on a 90-day probation period if they are no longer considered in good standing, according to a service agreement the township fire stations signed last year. During that period, the station must submit a corrective action plan within the first 30 days to the township fire chief.

After the probationary period, supervisors have several options. According to the service agreement, those options include removing the probationary status, extending the period for up to six months following an agreed-upon corrective action plan or terminating the agreement with the station.

“There’s nothing more that I would like to see than that company being there,” Reese said. “I’d love to see a station operating up there for the good of that community.”

While the focus is on West Point, the station is not alone in facing retention and recruitment issues.

From 2001-19, there was a 58% decline in total company membership and an 18% decrease in active members, according to a survey from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute. From 2012-19, total company membership increased 31%.

Township officials stressed that as they work to bolster response rates and volunteers at the station, West Point residents will receive responses from other Hempfield stations as situations arise. Since West Point was placed on probation, Hempfield No. 2 has been dispatched alongside the station to help ensure there is not a decline in service.

In addition, zones previously were set up within the township. If there is a fire call in one of the zones, all stations within that zone are dispatched.

“The community needs to understand that there are things that are close by that are going to come within the quick response time that’s set out there,” Supervisor Doug Weimer said.

Reese noted that issues at West Point are not indicative of the fire department as a whole.

“This is just one company that’s dysfunctional right now,” Reese said. “It’s just not working, and they’ve been called out by the board and they have been on probation for the last 100 days. A plan of action is in order.”