DICKSON CITY — Before Gov. Josh Shapiro thanked first responders who battled a fire at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Dickson City late Wednesday, he viewed the damage himself.
He left the scene with even more appreciation for the work of firefighters, police officers, emergency medical technicians and hospital staff.
Dickson City Mayor Robert MacCallum shakes hand with Governor Josh Shapiro at Dickson City Fire Department’s Eagle Hose Company No. 1 on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. The governor along with Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner Thomas Cook visited the department to show support to first responders after last week’s Lehigh Valley Hospital fire. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
“I stopped by there on my way over because I wanted to see it in person,” Shapiro said. “Obviously, the scope of the damage was extraordinary. And when you’re approaching a scene like that, it’s very complex because it’s not just some vacant building where you have to put out a fire. You’re in a densely populated area with 77 people in the hospital. The staff acted so courageously and did a great job.”
Shapiro praised first responders’ skill and bravery.
“I’m grateful there are people like you out there that when the bell rings, you run toward danger,” he said. “This is just the latest example where tragedy came to a community that would have been far worse but for the bravery of those from Eagle Hose Company No. 1 and the other eight responding departments that ran toward that hospital to extinguish the fire and ensure that everyone could get out safely.”
Dickson City Mayor Robert MacCallum — who along with state and local officials thanked first responders Tuesday afternoon at Eagle Hose Company No. 1 — announced the hospital’s emergency room may reopen as soon as Friday. The next steps remain unclear.
“I haven’t heard of anything else. … One step at a time,” he said.
Community members listen to Dickson City Mayor Robert MacCallum during the press conference regarding the Lehigh Valley Hospital fire last week at Dickson City Fire Department’s Eagle Hose Company No. 1 on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Governor Josh Shapiro expresses gratitude for first responders quick action to the Lehigh Valley Hospital fire last week during the press conference at Dickson City Fire Department’s Eagle Hose Company No. 1 on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
First responders get ready to head out to a call during the press conference at Dickson City Fire Department’s Eagle Hose Company No. 1 on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Governor Josh Shapiro speaks during the press conference at Dickson City Fire Department’s Eagle Hose Company No. 1 on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner Thomas Cook speaks during the press conference at Dickson City Fire Department’s Eagle Hose Company No. 1 on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Community members listen to Dickson City Mayor Robert MacCallum during the press conference regarding the Lehigh Valley Hospital fire last week at Dickson City Fire Department’s Eagle Hose Company No. 1 on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Engineers previously determined Lehigh Valley Hospital-Dickson City’s main section remains structurally sound after a Wednesday fire that destroyed an older orthopedic wing in an adjoining section
MacCallum called the emergency response Wednesday a “team effort” and recognized the significance of having a medical facility in the community.
“That hospital is a very important part of Dickson City, and the surrounding area,” he said. “When I was growing up, there was a hospital on the other end of Main Street. It’s very important to have a Main Street hospital just because of the services they provide and how times are changing of what we need in medical care.”
Shapiro said state police have assisted with the fire investigation to determine a cause.
“It’s important to find out why this happened, and how it happened, to ensure this never happens again,” he said.
Dickson City Fire Chief Rich Chowanec said he had not received an update from an investigator as of Tuesday.
Shapiro also said he understands the urgency for reopening the facility, but stressed state Department of Health officials must sign off.
“It’s really important to get this hospital up and running as quickly as possible, but the hospital will not be reopened until it is safe for people to work in and safe for people to go there for care,” he said.
The governor pledged to continue to offer financial support to fire stations on top of more than $100 million in statewide grants awarded through his administration to support volunteer and career fire companies, emergency medical services and rescue squads.
Shapiro’s 2026-27 proposed budget includes an additional $30 million to support recruitment, retention and capital needs for volunteer and career fire companies across the state.
He announced Tuesday a $37 million investment in the Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services (FCEMS) Program, from which Dickson City will receive more than $16,000.
State Fire Commissioner Thomas Cook called the collaborative efforts battling Wednesday’s fire a “rare success.”
“To have a major fire in a hospital facility, occupied by patients, some of which were in the ICU, and to safely evacuate 77 patients without any injuries and more importantly any deaths is a huge, huge accomplishment and very rare not just in Pennsylvania, but nationwide,” he said.