About five months after Adamsburg fire station crews expressed interest in turning management of its service over to the township, Hempfield is considering building the firefighters a station on Hempfield Area School District property.
Over the past several years, the township has invited its 10 fire stations to become “nonchartered” — meaning the township would manage the station’s property and pay all of its expenses. North Hempfield was the first to take the jump in 2021, receiving a $1.8 million refurbishment of its building along Route 66.
The Fort Allen and Midway-St. Clair stations are completing paperwork to make the change. The Grapeville and Adamsburg stations submitted letters of interest to follow in the footsteps of North Hempfield this spring.
Adamsburg first began exploring the opportunity more than a year ago.
“One of our priorities for 2024 was to find land in the western part of the township for the replacement of the Adamsburg station, which would become the Hempfield West Station,” said township Manager Aaron Siko.
Adamsburg’s current station, located along Edna Road, is aging, Siko said. The township has allocated $5 million from a 2022 bond to fund construction of a new station.
There are no discussions at this time to replace or renovate Grapeville, Siko said. He anticipates Fort Allen and Midway-St. Clair will make formal agreements with the township in early 2025.
The search for a new location for its Adamsburg fire crews is focused on the school district property, Siko said — namely the West Hempfield elementary or middle schools.
A former ballfield in front of the elementary school along Wendel Road is of particular interest to the township. The location is central to residents, businesses and highway corridors.
The school board voted Monday to discuss the possibility with the township.
“I’m looking for just a partnership between the school district and the township as we move into our high school project,” said school Superintendent Mark Holtzman. “We’re going to need their support with some of the traffic and civil and permits, so I thought this is a way to start to bridge the gap and build relationships.”
Designs for the new fire station are still up in the air, Siko said, but the township would likely take after the revamped North Hempfield station.
“If North Hempfield is the case study on that,” he said, “then the case is strong that Adamsburg will come out of this in a very good position and the township will be better served on the western side.”
3 municipalities weigh fire service study
With Hempfield, New Stanton and Youngwood fire stations located just minutes away from each other, the municipalities are considering how their crews could best handle emergency calls in the region.
Hempfield supervisors will vote Monday on joining the neighboring municipalities in a fire service study completed by the state.
New Stanton council took the lead on the study, inviting Hempfield and Youngwood to join in about two months ago, said Hempfield Manager Aaron Siko. Conducted by the state Department of Community and Economic Development, the study would examine the efficacy and efficiency of the three municipalities’ fire services on New Stanton.
“They’re just looking for us to be a partner in that study,” Siko said, “Not to say that there’s any commitment to what the outcomes say.”
Hempfield’s Midway-St. Clair fire station falls about three miles away from the Youngwood Volunteer Fire Department and about six miles away from New Stanton’s station.
At a township meeting Wednesday, Hempfield Supervisor George Reese asked if there is an interest in the three municipalities combining fire services.
“I believe that based on the conversations Tony and I have had with New Stanton and Youngwood fire departments, also New Stanton council, there is an interest to determine how we partner in the future,” Siko said. “Ultimately, I think everyone is of the realization that three buildings within one mile of each other is not the right way to go.”
Hempfield and Youngwood officials need to draft and sign a letter of intent to start the study. Siko estimates the study could be completed as early as mid-2025.
Hempfield completed a similar fire service study in the early 2000s, Siko said. A follow-up study was completed in 2018.