Minor renovations at a building in Hempfield that once housed fire trucks have allowed Mutual Aid EMS to turn it into a new ambulance base.
Ambulances have been responding since November from the former High Park fire station on Baughman Avenue, close to Route 30 in the western part of the township, according to a statement from the ambulance service’s board of directors.
Hempfield officials are working on an adjustment to zoning rules to allow a similar reuse for its fire station buildings as the transformation of the township’s fire service continues. Buildings that currently house fire stations might not fit the department’s needs.
“We’re thinking about those cases and certainly using data from across the commonwealth to take a look at other ways outside of the box” to address the issue, township manager Aaron Siko said.
Hempfield is preparing to update zoning, through what is known as an overlay district, specifically for municipal fire or other public safety buildings that would apply once that type of use ends. Those rules will allow for an adaptive reuse of the buildings that are typically situated in residential neighborhoods.
A public hearing on the matter is scheduled for 7 p.m. March 23.
With the fire station buildings being mainly in residential areas, those zoning districts limit how a property can be used, planning manager Matthew Pernelli said. The addition of the overlay district would allow some commercial uses compatible with the neighborhood in an effort to prevent those buildings from sitting empty.
Examples of businesses that would be allowed with the overlay district include an animal hospital or veterinarian clinic, a professional office, retail or service business, and a small grocery store. Additional uses, including a banquet facility, auto repair shop, restaurant or social club, would require approval from the zoning hearing board.
“We’re trying to get ahead of these structures just sitting there because the public service is gone,” Pernelli said. “If we can incentivize business owners to move into them the best that we can, I think it’s great for the community.”
The former Fort Allen station along Route 136 has been vacated by its volunteers, but its social club remains in operation there. The property was sold in December to Jodaron Realty for $600,000, according to a deed. Fort Allen firefighters are responding to calls out of other township stations.
High Park Volunteer Fire Department shut down in February 2024 after spending nearly two years on probation for failing to respond to emergency calls. In April 2025, it merged with and moved into the West Point station, leaving its Baughman Avenue home empty.
Mutual Aid acquired three parcels making up the station property in August for $1, according to a deed. The board of directors said the building was donated.
Hempfield has been working to bring its community volunteer fire departments under one umbrella, referred to as a “nonchartered” process in which they become absorbed into the Hempfield Fire Department. In return, Hempfield manages the station and pays all of its expenses while volunteer firefighters continue to respond to calls.
Three departments have completed the process to dissolve their charters, while several others are working through the steps, though not all stations have expressed interest.
The ongoing transformation of the fire service includes proposed stations that would cover regions of the township, including one being planned for the western part of Hempfield. Information provided by Hempfield shows plans to have seven regional fire stations by 2035.