We, the undersigned residents of Hempfield Township, strongly urge the Board of Supervisors to reconsider and halt the conditional purchase of land at Arona Road and Harry Long Road for a new fire station intended to serve the western township (including Adamsburg, Fort Allen, and Darragh areas).

While we fully support modernizing our fire services and appreciate the dedication of our volunteer firefighters, the proposed site raises serious concerns about increased emergency response times, as warned by Adamsburg Volunteer Fire Department President Ken Wees.

Key Concerns:
The new location could add 2-4 minutes (or more on back roads) to response times in key areas due to longer travel distances.

This delay affects not only scene arrival but also volunteers' time to reach the station in a volunteer-based system, where firefighters respond from home or work to the station before deploying apparatus.

Adamsburg & other Volunteer Fire Departments alone handle approximately 400 calls per year. Longer drives to a more remote station could discourage volunteers, exacerbate staffing shortages (already a statewide crisis in Pennsylvania), and ultimately slow overall emergency responses, putting lives and property at risk.

Better alternatives exist, such as renovating the proven, centrally located existing Adamsburg station (in service for over 74 years).
Our volunteer firefighters sacrifice countless hours to protect us. Relocating to a site that could hinder their ability to respond quickly disrespects their service and jeopardizes community safety.

We respectfully request:

Pause the conditional agreement and conduct a full public review of response time impacts.

Prioritize sites that minimize delays for volunteers and maximize coverage (e.g., keep/upgrade the current Adamsburg station).

Hold a dedicated public hearing before any final decision.

The November 25, 2025, 3-2 vote proceeded despite expert warnings , let's get this right for our volunteers and our safety.

Thank you for listening to the community.

Come to the Township Supervisors Meeting:

Monday, December 22, 2025
7:00 PM
Hempfield Township Municipal Building
1132 Woodward Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601