A coalition of fire companies in Berks and western Lehigh counties put PennDOT on notice Tuesday night at a meeting in Windsor Township: It's not their responsibility to handle traffic detoured from accidents on Interstate 78.
“When the scene is secure and the fire is out, we're leaving,” said Donnie Batista, Kutztown's assistant fire chief. “That's what we're doing from this point forward.”
The mandate, agreed to by volunteer fire companies in Virginville, Hamburg and Weisenberg Township in Lehigh County, came at a meeting that gathered nearly 100 municipal officials, state lawmakers, PennDOT representatives and first responders. They met at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency headquarters on the former Hamburg Center property.
Fire companies say they no longer have enough volunteer fire police to spend lengthy periods, sometimes more than 10 hours, directing traffic detoured onto Old Route 22 between Hamburg and the Lehigh County line. They want PennDOT to take over traffic control four hours into the incident.
The change marks a break in long-standing tradition among volunteer fire companies.
In decades past, when they were replete with volunteers, fire companies could field a corps that could rescue entrapped motorists, put out vehicle fires and divert traffic from the accident scene.
Changing attitudes, job responsibilities and an aging corps, coupled with a massive increase in interstate traffic through the Berks County corridor, have strained fire companies to the limit.
“In the past, fire departments were willing to help PennDOT,” said Mat Dempsey, Virginville's assistant fire chief. “We can't do it anymore.”
Kutztown responded to 100 accidents and Hamburg 75 on I-78 during 2018, fire company records indicate. During a fiery crash involving tractor-trailers in November, 35 fire police from four counties were called on for assistance.
Contributing to the sense of urgency is the $168 million, four-year upgrade of a nearly six-mile section of I-78 from Lenhartsville to the Lehigh County line that will widen parts of the highway. It's set to begin in spring.
An estimated 1.2 million vehicles a month cross through the Berks County corridor of I-78, Flynn said. PennDOT statistics indicate that 28 percent to 35 percent of the traffic is trucks and commercial vehicles.
“It's going to increase,” Young predicted, “as more warehouses go up.”
Sgt. Tracy M. Flynn, commander of the state police station in Hamburg, moderated the nearly two-hour meeting.
Bruce Bubser, PennDOT manager in Berks County, said the agency has drafted a revised plan for detouring traffic from I-78 during accidents.
Details of the plan have not been presented to fire companies, but Bubser indicated it involves using alternatives to Old Route 22.
“Old Route 22 can't handle the traffic,” Bubser said. “We need to stop thinking traditionally, and think more globally.”
Fire companies asked to review the plan before the next task force meeting, April 9 at 6 p.m. at PEMA headquarters.
PennDOT is working with AFSCME, the union representing its workers, on a system to allow workers to volunteer for on-call duty in traffic control, Bubser said.
Fire companies suggested that PennDOT hire a private company to handle traffic control at major accidents. PennDOT has not responded to the suggestion.
Brian Gottschall, director of emergency services in Berks County, said the county has an arrangement with utility companies to get them to an accident scene within four hours. It's not perfect, he said, but it has worked well.
“The elephant in the room is people and money,” said Gottschall, suggesting a similar arrangement might alleviate the I-78 problem. “We need PennDOT to control the situation. I don't see any other alternative.”
State Sen. Judy Schwank and state Reps. Barry Jozwiak and Gary Day attended the meeting.
Jozwiak said bills have been introduced in Harrisburg that would authorize fire departments to appoint temporary fire police in emergency situations and recoup expenses from insurance companies of motorists involved in accidents.
Schwank said she hopes the outcry from volunteer firefighters reaches PennDOT's higher-ups in Harrisburg.
There was general agreement that communication is a problem during major accidents.
Gary Verna, chief of special operations in Lebanon County, said the county has an incident command trailer that enhances communication. Lehigh and Northampton also have trailers, but Berks does not.
Flynn, a 24-year veteran who's been in command of the state police Hamburg station since October, acknowledged hearing the frustration in the voices of firefighters.
“Everyone agrees there's a problem on I-78, but the question is: What can we do collaboratively to mitigate the situation?” he said. “Let's not just meet for the sake of meeting. Let's come up with some answers.”
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