Shapiro stopped in Dickson City on Tuesday to recognize the first responders who acted quickly to safely evacuate nearly 80 patients during last week’s fire.
DICKSON CITY, Pa. — Not even a visit from Governor Josh Shapiro can stop first responders at Eagle Hose Company No. 1 in Dickson City from jumping into action when emergency tones go out.
It’s that kind of heroics that saved the lives of nearly 80 patients last week during a fire at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Dickson City’s Orthopedic Institute and brought Governor Shapiro and state lawmakers together on Tuesday to say thank you.
“I am grateful that there are people like you out there that when the bell rings you run toward danger and that you’re willing to do that work that makes us a stronger and better society, more compassionate and loving community,” said Governor Shapiro.
The governor also announcing record breaking funding for volunteer fire departments and other first responders across the state.
With an additional $30 million in his proposed 2026-27 budget, Shapiro is looking to continue building up our volunteer fire departments, which have struggled in recent years.
“We can’t flip enough chickens to buy a piece of fire apparatus. That’s where this funding comes into play,” said Chief Richard Chowanec, Dickson City Fire Department.
From battling flames and inflation to finding different ways to fundraise, Dickson City Fire Chief Richard Chowanec knows firsthand just how crucial this support can be. “What an opportune time for him to announce this, and what better place to do it after having such a major incident than right here in Dickson City,” he said.
In attendance were some of the men and women who braved the flames during last week’s fire.
“The thing that really set this apart from everything else is the evacuation. There were 77 people evacuated, which thankfully the fire departments, we had nothing to do with that. That’s all police, EMS. They handled that evacuation beautifully,” said Xander Oakey, volunteer firefighter.
“This is something that we always talked about having. So this is an extremely big building, and you never know what you’re gonna have there,” said Matthew Horvath, volunteer firefighter.
And while the acclaim and praise are appreciated, the members at Eagle Hose Company No. 1 say they’ll gladly be the first ones in and the last ones out whenever they are called.
“We’re thankful that he’s giving us more opportunities, more opportunity to get funding. It’s not easy, but we’re thankful for the governor helping us out,” said Chase Bilinski, volunteer firefighter.
“It’s kind of an amazing feeling, but at the same time, it’s what we do every day. It’s nothing special,” said Horvath.
Governor Shapiro says hospital officials hope to have the emergency room open by Friday, as long as everything is safe and sound.