Volunteer fire departments are nearing a breaking point. About 37,000 firefighters suit up every day in Pennsylvania, according to the Office of the State Fire Commissioner. That’s down tenfold from the 1970s, when there were about 300,000 firefighters. “That’s close to a crisis in my mind,” said New Kensington fire
A water leak forced 29 residents from the Scottdale Court apartment complex on Christmas Day, and it’s unclear how long it will be until they can return to their apartments. A waterline that was part of the sprinkler system broke at about 5:30 p.m. in an attic area of the
Volunteer fire companies and EMS organizations across Southwestern Pennsylvania continue to benefit from federal grants targeted at local emergency responders. Since 2001, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Department of Homeland Security has doled out more than 1,800 Assistance to Firefighters Grants across the country, totaling nearly $323 million. The most
Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson has found his newest deputy close to home. Carson, the former mayor of Scottdale, announced the hiring of Scottdale Volunteer Fire Department Chief Dave Wendell for a job as part-time deputy as the first-term coroner continues to compile his staff. Wendell, 45, works as a