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Emergency services report cites Hammond's Rock wildfire as April's major incident
Summary
The Township's emergency services report presented April call totals and highlighted the Hammond's Rock fire, which burned more than 300 acres; Charley Westcott said the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry is the responsible agency and that a communication near-miss was officially reported.
During the May/April incident review presented at the June 4 meeting, Dickinson Township emergency services staff reported April call totals across local companies and singled out the Hammond's Rock wildfire as the major incident of the month.
Charley Westcott delivered the report, saying Citizens Fire Company responded to 14 calls, Union Fire Company 6, Penn Fire Company 8, Yellow Breeches EMS 23 and Cumberland-Goodwill EMS 9. He said the Hammond's Rock fire affected more than 300 acres and, after his research, he identified the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry as the agency responsible for that incident. Westcott also noted a communication near-miss during the response that has been officially reported.
Why it matters: Large wildfires have implications for mutual aid, resource allocation and interagency responsibility. Identifying the responsible state agency helps clarify reimbursement and management for fire suppression and rehabilitation.
Next steps and context: The emergency services report will remain part of regular updates to the Board; supervisors commended the detail in the report and noted the need to monitor communication protocols to prevent near-misses in future incidents.
