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Fire company recounts 22 storm calls on July 4 and warns public about danger of downed wires
Summary
During the West Hanover meeting, the fire company reported 22 calls over the July 4 weekend, said members were verbally accosted while closing roads with downed live wires and called for public education about the danger of energized lines; residents offered public thanks for emergency response.
The township's fire company told supervisors it fielded 22 calls during the July 4 storm period and that crews and public works personnel were sometimes mistreated by residents while working to secure roadways. The report—delivered as the fire chief's report—urged greater public understanding about the life-threatening risk posed by downed power lines.
"When there are live wires on the ground, that's absolutely a public safety concern," the speaker said. "Some of them have over 7,500 volts going through them and can kill somebody in an instant." The presenter said several members gave up the holiday to respond and described instances where barricades were moved or driven around, creating further hazards and damaging township equipment.
The township's emergency operations and public works teams coordinated response activities, the speaker said, and staff plan to publish a newsletter article explaining why roads are closed when lines are down. At the public-comment periods, several residents thanked the fire company and public works for opening a compost center, providing dumpsters for spoiled food after extended outages, and helping residents in need.
Board members commended the response and noted the difficulty of balancing rapid clearance with safety and utility policies. No formal action was taken beyond thanking responders and directing staff to include public-safety guidance in township communications.
