Alpha Fire Company Celebrates 125 Years of Serving the Community

This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette .

STATE COLLEGE — The Alpha Fire Company, first established as the Union Fire Company in 1899, will celebrate 125 years of protecting the Centre Region with a celebration along the 200 block of Allen Street from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 20.

The celebration will include fire safety demonstrations, fire truck bucket rides, antique fire engines, historic Alpha Fire Company memorabilia, food trucks, children’s activities — like a bounce house and games — live music and more.

“In 1899, 29 residents of State College saw a need to provide fire protection to a small but growing community surrounding the commonwealth’s land-grant college. Over the last 125 years the community, the university and the fire company have grown in size and complexity, leading to fire company that supports the Centre Region with nearly 100 volunteers, 30 apparatus and three stations,” Alpha Fire Company President Svend Pedersen explained.

“Our primary response area now covers 104 square miles and approximately 100,000 people. We have grown from responding to fires to an all-hazards company responding to fires, of course, but also technical rescues, hazardous material incidents and hazardous conditions.”

Carmine Prestia has served for 52 years with the Alpha Fire Company and noted the importance that the nearly 100 volunteers have on the community.

“One of the often-overlooked facts is the cost of a career in the fire department. If the COG municipalities had to pay for a career department, the annual cost would probably triple. That cost would of course be borne by the taxpayers of the Centre Region,” Prestia said. “Being an integral part of the communities it serves increases the commitment of the volunteers to provide fast, efficient service to their neighbors. In my 52 years with Alpha, I have often been on calls that relate to people I know and need our help.”

Prestia noted that reaching this many years as a volunteer organization is no easy feat.

“In a time when volunteer organizations are suffering from a lack of members, we are proud of the fact that the company had been able to provide service for well over a century,” said Prestia. “This is the result of cooperation among the community, the COG governments and the members of the company. That is a remarkable record and should be celebrated by all of us.”

Pedersen said that though volunteers join for a wide range of reasons, they all come together with a common goal.

“The reasons our members join are as diverse as our membership itself, but the one commonality across the board is that our volunteers want to be part of something bigger than themselves and make a positive difference in our community,” Pedersen said. “We have members who have lived their whole lives here and members who are here while they attend Penn State, but we share the same mission of service before self. We train together, we respond to calls together and we support each other through the ups and downs we all go through.

“Our 29 founding members lived and worked here.  We do too. We are neighbors helping neighbors.”

Now the community is invited to come together to celebrate all of the neighbors who have been there to help in trying times.

“ Celebrating 125 years of service gives us an opportunity to look where we’ve been, and to look to where we’re going. We’re proud of our past and we’re excited about our future,” Pedersen said. “Our celebration is a way for us to thank the people we serve for their continued support of the Alpha Fire Company and its volunteer members.”

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