More than 375 Pennsylvania National Guard service members were activated Jan. 24 and began preparing to respond to possible assistance missions at multiple locations around the commonwealth in the wake of Winter Storm Fern. Dubbed Operation Keystone Hearth, the Pennsylvania National Guard activation was in support of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania State Police.
Winter Storm Fern brought high amounts of snowfall across Pennsylvania throughout the day Jan. 25 and delivered sleet and freezing rain across the southern portions of the state.
Pennsylvania Guardsmen were positioned with equipment at 28 locations throughout the commonwealth, and troops ready to respond at the request of civilian authorities.
During state activations, the Pennsylvania National Guard organizes into task forces by region: Pennsylvania Task Force North, Pennsylvania Task Force South, and Pennsylvania Task Force West. Two functional task forces augment these geographic commands, Task Force Support and Task Force Aviation.
Service members are always on duty at the Pennsylvania National Guard’s joint emergency operations center. The center maintains continuous communications with National Guard Bureau and PEMA in order to anticipate future requirements that could be assigned to Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers and Airmen.