SPRINGDALE, Pa. — The Springdale Volunteer Fire Department is responding to criticism and answering questions about why its firefighters did not respond to a Memorial Day fire despite being one of the closest fire departments.
On May 26, a house fire on Melzina Street prompted a response from 50 firefighters across seven different departments. One person was injured in the fire and hospitalized.
Fire department officials explained to WTAE and on social media why they didn’t respond to the fire, addressing growing concerns from the community. They cited a new response protocol as the reason for their absence.
“We might hear of a fire call that’s in the neighboring community, but if we’re not called, we can’t help,” Captain Dan Copeland said. “If we actually have the staffing at the station, if we were to get on the radio and offer help, the county dispatchers won’t acknowledge us and won’t relay the command that there’s a neighboring engine and company that has a staffed unit that can respond to that location.”
Copeland said the new protocol, enacted three weeks ago, no longer allows departments to bid on calls, letting dispatchers know they are in the area and can respond, and that they were following the new rules.
He said he and his department are frustrated, especially knowing they could have responded in just two minutes.
An Allegheny County spokesperson said that the Springdale Volunteer Fire Department was only listed on the run card for a second alarm, and the fire never escalated beyond a first alarm.
She added that the county’s dispatch policy hasn’t changed and that departments have always been discouraged from bidding on calls. Departments are expected to follow the established dispatch procedures for each location.
