By David Hurst
The Tribune-Democrat
SOMERSET, Pa. – Two fire departments are set to merge in central Somerset County, but both of their stations will remain in operation, department leaders said.
Saddled by personnel shortages and other challenges facing first responders across the nation, crews from Somerset Volunteer Fire Department and Friedens Volunteer Fire Company voted to combine their operations, effective in January.
The new department will be called the Somerset Regional Volunteer Fire Department – but leaders said that both fire stations will continue to operate and send out responders when emergencies and other incidents occur.
“Nothing will close, and we’re all going to continue to operate as we have before,” said Somerset Fire Chief Jim Clark.
Even the departments’ Station 603 and Station 601 identifiers will live on at the West Union Street and Stoystown Road stations, Clark and Friedens Deputy Chief Chris Biancotti said.
The key difference is that, as a regional department covering a large swath of central Somerset County, the new department will be able to rely on a larger pool of volunteers to handle calls 24/7, while also creating more opportunities to raise money and seek grants, Clark said.
When Clark started serving as a volunteer firefighter 40 years ago, he said, “You’d see 12 people on an engine. ... There are times we go out to a call with two on a truck now. That’s the reality of it.”
Meanwhile, numbers of annual fire calls have surged – from perhaps 100 in the 1980s to more than 300 today, he said.
And Clark said it’s important to note that not every call for firefighters is about a fire. Whether it’s a medical emergency, a downed tree or a vehicle crash, there are calls that require firefighters to be ready to respond every day.
“Just like everyone else in the commonwealth, it’s all about recruitment, retention and manpower,” Clark said. “We’re all fighting for survival.”
Biancotti said the departments’ combined forces will likely provide the biggest boost during daylight hours when many active volunteers are at work. Alone, responding to daytime calls can be a challenge, he added.
Somerset’s fire department covers Somerset Borough and part of the surrounding Somerset Township. The Friedens department handles the rest of Somerset Township, plus parts of Quemahoning and Stonycreek townships.
The merger will also open up ways to save costs, Biancotti said.
Structure fires and other emergencies require fire departments to maintain a broad range of vehicles to respond, he said – such as pumper trucks on the ground and ladder trucks for aerial attacks. And those vehicles are expensive.
The regional department may no longer need to duplicate the six-figure purchases of some of that equipment, Biancotti said. When a call requires two specialized trucks, they will both be dispatched – but one could be deployed from Friedens and another from Somerset, he added.
He hopes the combined volunteer force will enable the new regional department to take on larger, more ambitious – and more lucrative – fundraisers to boost their ability to serve the community.
A small 15-member department might be challenged just to hold a 100-person dinner, he said, but as part of a regional department, firefighters should have the manpower to hold cash bashes, gun bashes and golf scrambles.
Biancotti and Clark said the two departments have discussed the merger concept for 18 months. Over that time, firefighters have worked and trained alongside one another and found opportunities to learn each other’s habits, strengths and challenges, preparing to work together as part of one unit.
Between now and January, there will still be details to sort out – such as changes to the “alarm cards” that tell Somerset County 911 when and where to call out each station, Clark said.
But the biggest change will be that the regional department will operate under one board of directors, Biancotti said. It’ll include board members from each of the two current departments. A regional chief and a top assistant will also be selected, plus a battalion chief and a deputy for each station, he said.
It’s a first-ever move for fire departments in central Somerset County, “but I’m excited for it,” Clark said.
Biancotti agreed, saying he’s hopeful residents see a change for the better.
“We hope there is a difference, and that’s more manpower on every rig,” he said. “The goal is to better serve our community.”
(c)2024 The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.)
Visit The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.) at www.tribune-democrat.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.