Berwyn, Radnor fire companies hold joint fire safety event

TREDYFFRIN >> In volunteer fire services today, “mutual aid” is a familiar term. A major reduction in volunteer firefighters in the state of Pennsylvania over the last 25 years has forced volunteer fire companies to join forces to perform activities and promote the merits of fire safety which, in the past, would have been undertaken by volunteer fire companies independently.

Mutual aid assistance was once limited to fire ground operations — particularly in the daytime when manpower shortages are most acute. But today mutual aid also applies to training exercises, fundraising events and fire safety expos.

An example of this “new normal” is when Berwyn Fire Company in Chester County and Radnor Fire Company in Delaware County recently wrapped up their first joint fire safety education event, officially known as the Main Line Fire Expo.

“In this day and age, volunteer firefighters can’t give as much time as they once did,” explained Eamon Brazunas, chief of the Berwyn Fire Company. “They are undergoing pressure on every side. On the one hand, they’re required to put in an extensive amount of training time. Then, many are involved in a two-family income lifestyle. Which means they can’t readily leave work to run fire calls. That’s why we have joint events. We just thought that this takes better advantage of the volunteers’ time. One event. One day.”

More than 60 volunteer

firefighters participated in the three-hour joint event which took place on a recent Saturday afternoon on the commodious parking lot adjacent to the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair at Lancaster Avenue and Dorset Road in Tredyffrin Township.

Previously, when Berwyn and Radnor fire companies held independent fire safety open houses, they were hampered by a couple of issues. One was inadequate space to put on the demonstrations. And two, there was not enough space for the public to park their cars. “This new venue was perfect,” Brazunas pointed out. “There was ample space to hold our fire safety activities, and much more room for the public to park their cars.”

The location for this event was picked because it was central to both fire companies. Brazunas credited the location to the increased attendance: over 1,000 people attended the event, which gave the fire companies more exposure to educate the community on fire safety.