Bethel Park officials praise emergency response to April 29 storm; volunteer fire company seeks recruits and donations

Bethel Park officials on May 12 described the borough’s response to a severe weather event on April 29 and urged residents to support local volunteer emergency services.

Assistant Fire Chief Rob Osmond said the volunteer fire company responded to an unusually high number of calls: “We actually had 57 incidents between 05:20 that night and 7 a.m.,” he said at the council meeting, noting that was roughly equal to a typical month’s workload in a single night. Osmond said the unofficial wind measurement at Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin was about 70 mph — within the range for an EF-0 tornado — and that the storm produced straight-line winds, downed trees and residential damage. He said there were no injuries reported from the incidents he reviewed.

Osmond and other speakers noted the fire company handled multiple classes of incidents that night, including structure fires, vehicle fires, hazardous conditions and dozens of fire- and CO-alarm activations. He said crews recorded 26 downed wires and reminded residents not to approach fallen power lines and to call dispatch.

Osmond said the department has about 57 active members but that volunteer staffing is at a 25-year low: roughly 40 members responded the night of the storm but the department is seeking new volunteers. He described municipal tax dollars as funding buildings while apparatus, radios and protective gear are funded largely through donations; he asked residents to use the department’s website or mailers to donate and to contact the fire company if they receive phone solicitations (the department said it does not solicit donations by phone).

Police Chief Arnold also reported to council. He noted the week was National Police Week, warned residents about recent phone and internet scams that have used spoofed numbers and urged common-sense precautions: do not provide personal information or pay by gift cards or unusual payment methods; verify numbers before returning calls; and avoid giving remote access to devices. Arnold said the department received multiple scam reports and that scammers had spoofed the police department’s phone number.

Both chiefs urged residents to monitor accounts for fraud, avoid suspicious payment requests and to report any suspicious activity. The meeting record also included announcements of community safety events: a first-responder bike rodeo scheduled for June 7 at the DEC Hockey parking lot and other outreach activities at which bike helmets will be distributed.

The council meeting record shows coordinated praise for public works, police, fire and EMS for their response to the April 29 event; Mayor Jack Allen and the borough manager publicly thanked first responders and volunteers. The volunteer fire company’s request for more members and donations was the only operational ask recorded on the public safety reports portion of the agenda.