Last week, two volunteer fire departments in the Borough of Vandergrift, Pa., suspended service because their workers’ compensation insurance lapsed.
State law requires fire departments to have coverage.
Firefighters were unable to respond to 911 calls due to a failure in insurance. However, Mayor Lenny Colini said the borough arranged for support from neighboring fire departments to allow for “uninterrupted emergency response” until the insurance issue was resolved. The mayor said in a statement that the policy should be reinstated this week letter to residents.
The borough became aware on Friday, April 10, that the workers’ compensation policy was no longer in effect, which the mayor said means it won’t be reinstated until this week. The mayor did not explain how or why the insurance lapse occurred.
Workers’ compensation insurance covers an injured worker’s medical and rehabilitation expenses, lost wages, and death benefits for the family of a person killed in a work-related accident. Five Pennsylvania firefighters died on the job in 2025, according to fire department United States Fire Department. Between 1990 and 2024, there are 278 firefighters died on duty in Pennsylvania.
Nearly 90 percent of the state’s fire departments are volunteers.
Vandergrift has a population of approximately 5,000 and is located approximately 30 miles northeast of Pittsburgh
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