Hempfield Township is looking to build a new fire station near Adamsburg Borough, but some residents have expressed concerns over the proposed location.

Hempfield Township currently has 11 volunteer fire departments that cover a radius of more than 75 square miles. What the township would like to do is build its Adamsburg department a new state-of-the-art facility approximately 2 miles south of the department's current station at the intersection of Arona and Harry Long roads.

"We identified this location because of the proximity to a number of roadways and its ability to help us meet the [National Fire Protection Association] standards, where we are expanding the response time in the western corridor for us," said Aaron Siko, Hempfield Township's manager.

Hempfield Township Board of Supervisors Chairman Doug Weimer said in an email statement that the board remains committed to providing fire protection to the community and that the board "supports a plan for new fire stations to include pull through truck bays, training space, dormitory rooms, weight room, and common areas, which this property is well suited to provide."

KDKA reached out to several people who live near this proposed site, but did not hear back on Friday evening. But the concerns that some shared on social media indicate they are worried about slower response times for Adamsburg, more traffic on the roads and the fact that the site sits overtop an old mining operation. 

Siko, however, said that the township is aware of the undermining.

"This is not something that is new to Hempfield Township, to construction in the township or to any other developer who builds in southwestern Pennsylvania," Siko said. "We are always aware of it, but we did investigate that ahead of time. But we would be hard-pressed to find any site that didn't have similar challenges."

The township expects to close out the sale on the land in the next two weeks, and it hopes to have the new station completed by the fall of 2028.