It comes after an early morning fire.
Reporter
SPRINGDALE, Pa. —
A local fire department is responding to criticism after not responding to a fire that resulted in one person being sent to the hospital on Memorial Day Monday.
Fifty firefighters from seven departments were called to a home on Melzina Street in Springdale around 10:30 a.m. following reports of a massive fire Monday.
Although multiple departments were on the scene, officials with the Springdale Volunteer Fire Department did not respond, despite being one of the closest departments to the scene.
Officials with the department later spoke to Pittsburgh's Action News 4 on why it did not respond to the fire and the questions it's facing now from community members.
The department said it's because of a new protocol.
"We might hear of a fire call that’s in the neighboring community, but if we're not called, we can't help," Capt. Dan Copeland with the Springdale Volunteer Fire Department 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 told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that the department was not called because of a new protocol that was enacted three weeks ago. He said the protocol no longer allows fire departments to bid on assignments. So, because of that, the captain said they were simply just following protocol and did not bid.
He said he and his department are frustrated that this is happening, especially when Monday's response time could have just been two minutes.
"So, to the folks that have reached out to us, the members of the community, we feel your pain and suffering with this process as well, and we’re sorry that this is happening, but this is out of our control," Copeland said.
Copeland said he has not been told why this new protocol was implemented.
He said the only logical reason he can see behind this is to cut down on some unnecessary radio traffic when trying to run a command.
An Allegheny County spokesperson tells Pittsburgh's Action News 4 the Springdale Volunteer Fire Department was on the run card for a second alarm fire only and said this morning's fire never went beyond a first alarm.
She adds there has been no change in the Allegheny County dispatch policy and the county has always discouraged departments from bidding to go on calls.
The county spokesperson tells Pittsburgh's Action News 4 that departments are supposed to follow the established dispatch procedures for each location.
Following the fire, one person was taken to the hospital and is said to have suffered no serious injuries.
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