Adams Area, Callery Borough, Cranberry Township, Evans City Area and Harmony Fire District formed the Standard Action For Emergency Response group, or SAFER, in December to come up with a set of standard operation guidelines to “provide our best response, on our worst day, on their worst day.”

Local volunteer fire departments are banding together to form a new group and set of guidelines to make responding to mutual aid calls safer and more efficient.

Adams Area, Callery Borough, Cranberry Township, Evans City Area and Harmony Fire District formed the Standard Action For Emergency Response group, or SAFER, in December to come up with a set of standard operation guidelines to “provide our best response, on our worst day, on their worst day.”

The chiefs announced the full plan at a meeting May 1 at the Cranberry Township Fire Training Facility.

“One of the largest issues with firefighter line of duty deaths is the lack of multi-jurisdictional standard operation guidelines,” said Scott Garing, fire chief at Harmony Fire District. “Without them you do not know what you are getting into and what you are supposed to do, which leads to potential problems. This is our attempt to curb that."

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