Hempfield Fire Department

09/11/2026

Twenty-five years ago today, 343 firefighters answered the call and never came home. Alongside them, police officers, EMS, Port Authority officers, and nearly 3,000 innocent people lost their lives.

For those of us in the fire service, this day never gets lighter. It weighs on us every year. We think about the brothers and sisters who climbed those stairs knowing what was waiting for them, and we carry that with us every time we step onto the apparatus.

Today, the members of Hempfield Fire Department pause to remember.

Never forget. 🇺🇸

09/05/2026

Dumpsters available beginning September 6. Check the Hempfield website for updates.

https://www.hempfieldtwp.com/m/newsflash/home/detail/197

09/04/2026

🚨 HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP DECLARES LOCAL DISASTER EMERGENCY 🚨

This morning, Board of Supervisors Chairman R. Douglas Weimer signed a Declaration of Local Disaster Emergency for Hempfield Township in response to the severe storms that hit our community on Thursday evening, September 3.

WHAT HAPPENED:
Between 6:00 p.m. and midnight, Township weather stations recorded 3.4 to 3.9 inches of rain, with periods of extremely intense rainfall and wind gusts over 44 mph. The storms caused flash flooding, downed trees and utility lines, widespread power outages, and road closures across the Township.

OUR RESPONSE:
Starting at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, the Hempfield Township Fire Department and Public Works were activated through the Township Emergency Operations Center. Our firefighters and Township crews have responded to MORE THAN 150 storm-related incidents, including flooding, downed trees and wires, and blocked or impassable roads. That work is still ongoing.

WHAT THE DECLARATION MEANS:
Under Pennsylvania's Emergency Management Services Code (35 Pa.C.S. § 7501), a local disaster emergency lets the Township act quickly to protect life and property. Specifically, it:
🔹 Puts Emergency Management Coordinator Anthony Kovacic in charge of coordinating response and recovery, working with the Board of Supervisors and Township administration.
🔹 Allows the Township to hire temporary labor, rent equipment, buy supplies, and enter contracts for emergency work without the usual delays required by law.
🔹 Authorizes the Township and our emergency service providers to seek county, state, federal, and insurance reimbursement for the cost of responding to this storm.

The declaration takes effect immediately (September 4, 2026) and remains in effect for up to seven days unless extended by the Board of Supervisors.

WHAT'S NEXT:
Storm conditions remain in parts of the Township. Crews are continuing debris removal, road clearing, infrastructure inspections, utility coordination, and damage assessments.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:
⚠️ Stay away from downed lines and flooded roads. Treat every downed wire as live. Turn around, don't drown.
⚠️ Use caution around closed roads and give crews room to work.
⚠️ Check on neighbors, especially seniors and anyone without power.
⚠️ Call 911 for emergencies only.

Thank you to our volunteer firefighters, Public Works crews, and Township staff who have been working around the clock since Thursday evening. And thank you, Hempfield, for your patience as we continue to recover.

Read the full declaration:

09/04/2026

Over the past 24 hours, the Hempfield Fire Department has responded to 157 emergency calls - 141 of them right here in Hempfield Township - as severe storms and flash flooding hit our community Thursday evening into Friday morning.

Here's what your first responders handled:

132 storm related incidents:
Includes wires and trees down, flooding, and water rescues.

25 related/unrelated incidents, consisting of:
Includes fire and CO alarms, fires, vehicle accidents, etc.

Nearly all of these calls came in over a 15-hour stretch starting around 6:45 PM Thursday. Our crews also provided mutual aid to neighboring communities.

Thank you to every firefighter, EMT, police officer, emergency dispatcher/telecommunicator (Westmoreland County D.P.S.), utility worker, etc., who worked through the night, and to the residents who stayed off flooded roads and gave our crews room to work.

⚠️ Reminders:

Never drive through flooded roads; turn around, don't drown.
Treat every downed wire as live. Stay back and call 911.
If you're running a generator, keep it outside and away from windows. Carbon monoxide is deadly.

Hempfield Fire Department - Chartered:
Adamsburg VFD
Bovard VFC Station 84
Carbon Volunteer Fire Department
West Point Volunteer Fire Department
Fort Allen VFC
Hannastown Volunteer Fire Department

09/04/2026

☎️ WHO DO I CALL? UTILITY EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Not every utility problem requires a 911 call. Save these numbers so you know who to contact when a utility emergency or outage occurs:

⚡ West Penn Power
1-888-544-4877
Power outages & electrical emergencies — 24/7

🔥 Peoples Natural Gas
1-800-400-4271
Gas leaks & gas emergencies — 24/7

💧 Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County (MAWC)
724-755-5800
Water/sewage emergencies — 24/7

📞 Verizon
1-800-837-4966
Verizon telephone/Fios service issues and downed lines

📺 Comcast/Xfinity
1-800-934-6489
Cable & internet service issues

🤝 PA 211
Dial 211
Connects residents with assistance for utilities, housing, food, and other community resources.

🚨 WHEN TO CALL 911

If there is an *immediate threat* to life or property, call 911.

Examples include:
• Downed or arcing electrical wires
• A fire or electrical fire
• A strong odor of natural gas or suspected gas leak
• A utility emergency creating an immediate hazard
• Any situation where someone is in immediate danger

Never approach or touch a downed power line. Stay away and keep others away.

Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County
Hempfield Emergency Management Agency

09/04/2026

⚠️ TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN ⚠️

Hempfield Fire Department crews have responded, and continue to respond, to multiple flooding and water rescue related calls. Please take this seriously.

It takes just 6 inches of moving water to knock an adult off their feet, and 12 inches to sweep away most vehicles. If you come across a flooded roadway — DO NOT attempt to drive or walk through it. You cannot judge the depth of the water or the condition of the road beneath it.

🔹 Never drive around barricades
🔹 Never attempt to cross flooded roads
🔹 If your vehicle stalls in rising water, get out and move to higher ground immediately
🔹 Call 911 if you or someone else is in danger

Every water rescue puts our crews and our neighbors at risk. Help us keep everyone safe.

TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN. It could save your life.

Hempfield Emergency Management Agency
Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County

09/04/2026

⚠️ SAFETY REMINDER: Downed Power Lines Are DANGEROUS

If you spot a downed or low-hanging power line, always assume it's energized — even if it's not sparking, smoking, or making noise. Remember: STOP, LOOK, LIVE.

STOP — Stay at least 30 feet away from downed distribution lines and 100 feet away from downed transmission lines.
LOOK — Downed lines can energize the ground and nearby objects. Keep your distance from anything that might be energized and warn others to stay back.
LIVE — Call 911 immediately. The operator will notify the utility company. NEVER approach or try to move a line yourself.

If a line falls on your vehicle: Stay inside and call 911. Only exit if there's a fire or other immediate danger — and if you must, jump clear without touching the car and the ground at the same time, land with your feet together, and shuffle at least 30 feet away.

A few more tips:
✅ Never drive over or under damaged lines
✅ Obey all road closure signs and barricades
✅ Stay away from damaged trees and utility equipment — they can fall at any time

🔗 Learn more: firstenergycorp.com/outages_help/outage_help/downed-power-lines.html

09/04/2026

The National Weather Service advises that another line of storms will move through our area bringing:

🔹 Winds of 30–45 mph
🔹 Heavy rain with rates of 1–3+ inches per hour
🔹 Additional rainfall totals of 0.5" to 1.5"

With the ground already saturated, additional flooding is possible. Please help us keep everyone safe:

✅ Avoid unnecessary travel until the storm passes
✅ NEVER drive through flooded roadways – Turn Around, Don't Drown
✅ Move vehicles and belongings out of low-lying, flood-prone areas
✅ Do not drive around barricades – they are there for your safety
✅ Call 911 for emergencies only

09/04/2026

📢 What can you do to be prepared?

Staying informed is an important part of emergency preparedness. Make sure you receive important emergency alerts and notifications by signing up for Westmoreland County’s FREE Everbridge Emergency Notification System. ⬇️

https://www.westmorelandcountypa.gov/2749/EVERBRIDGE-Emergency-Notifications

What can you do to be prepared? 📢

Staying informed is an important part of being prepared for emergencies.

Make sure you’re receiving important emergency alerts and notifications by signing up for Westmoreland County’s FREE Everbridge Emergency Notification System: ⬇
https://www.westmorelandcountypa.gov/2749/EVERBRIDGE-Emergency-Notifications

09/03/2026

🚨 SEVERE WEATHER & EMERGENCY RESPONSE UPDATE 🚨

The Hempfield Fire Department is currently operating during multiple severe weather warnings, including:

🌪️ Tornado Warning
⛈️ Severe Thunderstorm Warning
🌊 Flash Flood Warning

Our units are busy and actively responding to emergency calls throughout the community. Due to the volume of incidents, calls are being prioritized based on severity and immediate threat to life and property.

📞 911 is also extremely busy. Westmoreland County D.P.S. telecommunicators are working to answer and prioritize calls as quickly as possible, but you may experience delays during this period of high call volume.

If you have an emergency, call 911. Please provide the telecommunicator with accurate information about your location and the nature of the emergency, and remain on the line unless instructed otherwise.

⚠️ If you are not experiencing an emergency, please stay off the roads and shelter in a safe location. Do not drive through flooded roadways, and never attempt to cross water covering a roadway. Please avoid down wires as well.

Our firefighters and telecommunicators are working hard to protect our community. Please be patient, stay weather-aware, and give emergency crews room to operate.