Strawpump Fire Department on Thompson Lane, North Huntingdon
Two North Huntingdon fire departments will split the Strawpump fire district in the eastern end of the township because of the department's poor insurance rating that has caused homeowners in that area to see their property insurance bills jump.
The township commissioners Wednesday approved the plan devised by North Huntingdon's fire chiefs to divide Strawpump's service area between the Hahntown and Westmoreland City fire departments.
Skip Cook, chief of the Hahntown fire department and chief of the North Huntingdon fire chiefs association, said Strawpump's service area, which abuts Hempfield and Penn townships, would be roughly divided equally among the townships.
Strawpump, which is currently in the process of nominating a person for the chief's position, still responds to calls, Cook said.
Cook said that the Hahntown and Westmoreland City fire departments will continue to divide the fire calls within Strawpump's territory until Strawpump can regain its certification through the Insurance Services Office. The township fire chiefs took action to bolster Strawpump's service territory after it was learned this fall that Strawpump has lost its ISO certification.
That agency rates how well a fire department is able to serve its community and assigns a Public Protection Classification that is informally referred to as its fire score, according to the agency.
Among the factors considered are water supply; its emergency communications system, which considers the speed in which a department is notified of an emergency and reducing community risk by offering fire safety and prevention courses; pump testing; and response to emergencies.
Cook and Mike Doshen, Westmoreland City's fire chief, said they don't know why Strawpump had such a poor fire score. Cook said the fire scores for each department are private and they don't have access to that information.
A spokesman for Strawpump fire department could not be reached for comment.
As a result of Strawpump's problems, township Commissioner Tom Hempel, whose ward covers Strawpump's territory, called for the township to freeze $200,000 of the money the township has given Strawpump fire department and place it into an escrow account, until it regains its certification.
Hempel said an audit for the beginning of 2023 showed that Starpump had about $320,000. The township allocates each of its seven volunteer fire departments about $74,000 a year.
Solicitor Chelsea Dice said, however, she would have to conduct legal research to see if the township has the authority to take back the money it has given the fire department.