IN Monroeville Summer 2019 | Page 16

he men and women of the Monroeville Fire Department— staff and volunteers alike—have protected and served the growing community of Monroeville for more than 93 years. The Monroeville Fire Department was born out of necessity in 1926, with the formation of the Patton Township Fire Company. What is now known as Old William Penn Highway was just being built and a rural community made up of mostly woodlands and farms was on its way to becoming a suburban community. In 1940, the new William Penn Highway was built 14 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE ❘ as a bypass to the “old” highway and the commercial corridor began to grow. With the growth of the township came the need for more fire protection. By 1955 a total of five fire stations made up the Monroeville Fire Department. In the early 1960s, EMS units were added to the department and today nine Advance Life Support ambulances are staffed and operated. The Monroeville Fire Department is an “all-hazards” department and provides essential fire protection, rescue and emergency medical response to the 29,000 residents and some 80,000 daily icmags.com commuters, workers and visitors to the Monroeville area in addition to providing fire prevention and educational programs to local community groups and schools. In 93 years, the department has grown exponentially, with its modernized fleet of apparatus and approximately 135 men and women who serve as volunteers. “However, in the last 30 years the department has seen a sharp decline in volunteers,” explains Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Bacco. “In the early 1970s to mid-1990s, the department had well over 250 volunteers—most family members or neighbors living within