COLLINGDALE UNITED
TWO VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES WILL MERGE INTO ONE ON JAN. 1
COLLINGDALE >> Volunteer fire companies can be notorious for their competitive nature, from hustling to arrive first at a blaze to a friendly softball game, firefighters certainly enjoy a rivalry. That is what makes what is happening in Collingdale unusual: The two volunteer fire companies that provide fire and ambulance coverage in the borough are consolidating into a single unit.
Collingdale Fire Co. No. 1 station 06 in the county and Collingdale Fire Co. No. 2 station 42 issued a joint press release announcing the merger effective Jan. 1, 2020, after which they will be known as the Collingdale Fire Co., Station 33.
“We just started looking at it. Collingdale is 1-mile long. Why do we need two fire companies?” asked Dan Harold, president of Collingdale Fire Co. No. 1. “If we combined think of how much stronger we could be.”
The fire companies, located .7 of a mile apart from one another, protect both Collingdale and Aldan boroughs and officials say that will not change.
“We met with both boroughs and they are both on board with it and have been very supportive. They are just as excited as we are,” said Harold.
“It first began about four years ago but in the past year discussions really began to pick up,” Harold said. “I’ve been a member for 1617 years. For us younger members, everyone understood no one wants to volunteer anymore. You have to adapt to change. “
Harold said for older members, life members who have been there for
30, 40, or 50 years, who built the organizations the turn of events can be heart breaking.
“In the end the vote was unanimous. It isn’t something we threw down their throats,” Harold said. “We will preserve our history, bring our history to the new company.”
Harold said crews from both stations have been cross training throughout the year in anticipation of the merger which has been in the works for several years.
“All year we’ve been cross training, Thursday night crew night, we been getting familiarized with each other trucks. No 1 has a ladder truck and No. 42 has a rescue,” he said.
“The consolidation will result in faster response times, more highly trained volunteers getting on apparatus and will continue to allow us to purchase the most up-to-date equipment to not only provide the best service to our residents but also keep our first responders safe,” according to a press release.
Harold said the new company is also receiving a $329,395 Federal Emergency Management Agency Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) grant that will help the company transition and recruit new members. Harold added anybody wanting to join can go to its Facebook page for information.
Sharon Hill and Clifton heights fire companies are also receiving large SAFER grants.
Come Jan. 1 all units will be dispatched out of the Clifton Avenue station and the popular banquet hall there will operate normally. Harold said the MacDade Boulevard station will be sold after the new company is settled in.
Elections for the board and line officers will be
Tuesday evening. Harold is running unopposed as president and Brian Fish is running unopposed as the new fire chief. Harold estimated the new company anticipates having 4045 active firefighters, that number is based on how many members responded to call in 2019, with several more firefighters just under that percentage. There will over 100 members which include contributing members, members who are active in non-firefighting positions and life members who do not actively fight fires.
“We talk a lot about consolidation and change and growth but we rarely see it and see people stepping up,” said Delaware Country Emergency Services Director Tim Boyce. “I’m excited to see they are embracing change. They are really focusing on their core mission and can stay focused on what they are there to do that is provide emergency services.”
Boyce pointed out the demands on the fire service continue to grow from fund raising to the increased level of training which he estimated have quadrupled.
Collingdale Fire Co. No. 1 was founded in 1906 while Collingdale Fire Co. No. 2 was charted 111 years later on Jan. 31, 1917. Collingdale No. 1 is located at 510 Clifton Ave. It operates two pumpers, a ladder truck and an ambulance and have a popular banquet Hall. Collingdale No. 2 is located at 310 MacDade Blvd. and operates two pumpers and a rescue truck.
“A basic way of looking at things, if you have two men responding from each station, you are much moire efficient responding with four as a team, will make a for a safer fire ground and fire service,” Boyce said. “From a county perspective the last thing we want to see a decline. This is a positive. If they’ve combined they have a real opportunity to do more.”
Harold said officials reached out to other Delaware County firefighters who have merged in the recent past to help form their plans, including leadership at Rocky Run and Tinicum. In the past 20 years there have been a number of mergers of fire companies in Delaware County.
In 2003 the Marcus Hook Fire Co. Station 32 and Viscose Fire Co. Station 46 merged to form the Marcus Hook Fire Department Station 32, and according to it website it was the first in Pennsylvania to do so. Then in 2007 Marcus Hook and Trainer merged three fire departments from two different towns. The Marcus Hook Fire Department Station 32, Lennox Park Fire Co. Station 68, and Trainer Fire Co. Station 33, to form the Marcus Hook Trainer Fire Department Station
68. Rocky Run Fire Co. in Middletown was chartered in 2013 from the merger of Lima and Lenni Heights fire companies.
In 2007 Essignton and Lester fire companies signed a merged and moved into a new fire station, now called the Tinicim Township Fire Co. In
2010 Morton-Rutledge Fire Co. was the result of a consolidation of the Morton Fire Co. and the Rutledge Fire Co. Both former companies had over 100 years of service to their communities. The most recent merger of departments was Aston Fire Department, which formed from a merger between Green Ridge and Aston Beechwood in 2015.
Two county stations, Milbourne and Colwyn are out of service and covered by neighboring fire departments.