Alert Fire Co. No. 1

We are announcing our 7th. Annual Alert Fire Co. Golf Outing for Monday, May 3, 2021. If your remember, we had to cancel our 2020 golf outing due to the COVID-19 restrictions. However, we are excited to be able to host this important fundraising this year. The golf outing is "only" 9 weeks from today - on Monday, May 3, 2021. The outing will take place again at the Downingtown Country Club and Seven Tap-Tavern, Ron Jaworski Golf. ... So, mark your calendars and register today, for the May 3rd. golf outing. We also have different sponsorship opportunities and partnerships available. Feel free to visit our golf outing website, www.alertgolfouting.org to keep up to date with info for the sponsorship opportunities and registration.

TBT - 25 Years ago on February 23, 1996, the Downingtown Fire Dept. was dispatched to a building fire at the John Rock Pallet Co. on Boot Rd., in East Caln Twp. Assistant Chief Gregg Nelms arrived on location with a working building fire and requested a second alarm, which included an additional 5" hose task force. A water supply line was laid from a hydrant at Boot and Skelp Level Roads with a relay pumping operation to the scene. The crews worked several hours to bring the fully involved building under control.

PSA - The Downingtown Borough Snow Emergency will start at 10:00 PM tonight. For those of you that will be relocating your your vehicles to the Alert Fire Co. No. 1, please remember to only park in our rear parking lot and please do NOT park in front of the garage bay doors! We have emergency vehicles in the garage that we may need to respond to an emergency call. Thank you

TBT - 48 Years ago, on February 5, 1973, the Downingtown Fire Dept. were dispatched at approximately 3:45 AM to train accident on the main line of the Penn Central Railroad. The volunteers arrived on location, to find 21 freight cars of a 118 car freight train derailed on the bridge over the Brandywine Creek. It appeared that some of the freight cars were on fire, however, after further investigation it was determined that tank cars carrying sulfuric and nitric acid were lea...king and created a cloud. Mutual aid companies and the Downingtown Police Department assisted with evacuation of over 1500 Downingtown residents during this accident. This incident made national news with an AP article in several newspapers across the United States.

TBT - 50 Years ago, on February 2, 1971, the Alert Fire Co. No. 1 and the Minquas Fire Company No. 2 of the Downingtown Fire Dept. were dispatched to a building fire at the Devitt's Hardware Store, in the 100 block of E. Lancaster Ave. The multi alarm fire started in the mid-morning with sub-freezing temperatures and it quickly engulfed the entire Devitt's store and spread to the AFL-CIO Union office and the Western Auto store, in the rear, with a roof collapse. Some of the... mutual aide companies that we know of that assisted the DFD were the Beloit Eastern Factory Fire Brigade of Downingtown, Thorndale Fire Company and Clubroom, Washington Hose Co. No. 1, Brandywine Fire Co. No. 2, West End Fire Co. No.3 of the City of Coatesville Bureau of Fire, East Brandywine Fire Company, West Whiteland Fire Company, Lionville Fire Company and the Good Will Fire Company #2 of West Chester. Some of these fascinating photos, taken by Don Greenleaf, are from the Downingtown Area Historical Society collection. We would to thank this fine organization helping keep the Downingtown history alive.

PSA - Please remember to Adopt-A-Hydrant during this and every snow storm. Whether we have 5" or 15" of snow, it is imperative to have our fire hydrants clear of snow. If we have to take time to shovel snow from around a hydrant; that takes valuable time from our firefighting operations. Help us help you by shoveling a fire hydrant near where you live or work. Please shovel 3' around the hydrant and out to the street. -Thank you.... #alertno45 #downingtownpa #helpfightfire #eastcalntwp #eastcaln See more

Representatives from the Alert Fire Co. No. 1 and the Minquas Fire Company No. 2 received donation checks from Kimberton Whole Foods of Downingtown today. During the month of October, Kimberton Whole Foods hosted the Rounding Up for Downingtown Fire Department where patrons were asked to round-up the receipts at the cash register and KWF would match the total received. The volunteers of Alert and Minquas thank Kimberton Whole Foods and their customers for the kind donation.

TBT - 97 Years ago in the Fall of 1923, the Downingtown newspaper, named The Archive has the following news article about one of our horses that pulled our American LaFrance Chemical Wagon: Gib, one of the gray horses that had faithfully pulled the equipment of Downingtown’s Alert Fire Co. since 1908, had to be put down by Dr. Simon Yetter, The animal passed over without a groan or strugglehis last call. Below, is a photo of Gib and Ped. We are not sure which horse is Gib.

This evening for our weekly training, the Alert volunteers participated in the championship rounds of the High Rise Pack Deployment and Hose Advancement competition. The top four teams of two volunteers ran the deployment evolutions tonight and the winning team was new member Brian Poulin and nine year member Mike McCarraher.

For the past 79 years (and possibly more) the Alert Fire Co. No. 1 is proud to host our community and be the polling place for the West Ward North Precinct of Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Please remember to use caution in our parking lots. We ask our visitors to enter our parking lot from W. Pennsylvania Ave. and to exit through the rear parking lot to Western and Stuart Ave’s.

The members and officers of the Alert Fire Co. No. 1 wish you and your family a Safe and Happy Halloween!

The Downingtown Fire Dept. and the Alert Fire Co. No. 1 - Fire Prevention Committee recommends that when you change your clocks this weekend, that you change the battery in your Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors, as well. At 2:00 AM on Sunday, November 1, 2020 you will be changing your clocks back one hour, which means that Daylight Savings Time will end and Standard Time will begin. Please take this time, this weekend, to make changing your batteries a family project. Something as simple as having a fresh battery may safe your life! #helpfightfire #volunteertoday #downingtown #smalltownheaven #alertno45

TBT - 12 Years ago on October 30, 2008, the Downingtown Fire Dept. was dispatched to a three vehicle accident in the intersection of Manor and W. Pennsylvania Ave's. The crews from Rescue 45 and Engine 45 extricated one person with the HURST Jaws of Life, assisted EMS with patient care and secured the hazards.

Last evening, for our weekly training, the Alert and Minquas Fire Company No. 2 volunteers held a high-rise pack deployment competition. The volunteers divided into into two person teams for the race against the clock. Each team needed to hookup a 50’ section of 3 supply hose, then attach the gated-wye with 100’ of 1.75 hose with a smooth bore nozzle. The time ended when all three traffic cones were nocked over by the hose stream. There are four teams remaining to go into the championship round next Wednesday!

The Alert volunteers gathered, last evening to celebrate our accomplishments of 2019. Normally, the members of the Downingtown Fire Dept. gather for a formal dinner banquet every March to celebrate the previous year. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions, the formal banquet was canceled and each company decided host a smaller event at each firehouse for our members. After a catered dinner by St Anthony’s Restaurant, President Bob Siter and Assistant Chief J...eff Trego presented the following awards: Firefighter of the Year Mike McCarraher Fire Police Officer of the Year Andy Follett Outgoing Captain Karl Stevens 5 Years of Service John Follett 10 Years of Service Branden Ginter 10 Years of Service Christine Lam 10 Years of Service Mike Lam 10 Years of Service Linda Stevens 10 Years of Service Trauti Stevens 15 Years of Service Scott Stevens 15 Years of Service Josh Tatham 45 Years of Service Dave Summers 50 Years of Service Pat Butler 60 Years of Service Bob Stevens 65 Years of Service Tom Lee Active Life Membership 20 Years of Service Patrick Butler Active Life Membership 20 Years of Service Jonathan Keen One Year Anniversary Alert Challenge Coin Bert Adcox, Evan Trego Congratulations and thank you to all of our volunteers and their families for your dedication to serving the Alert Fire Co. No. 1 and our Good Neighbor Community. #alertno45 #downingtown #helpfightfire #VolunteerToday

TBT - 10 Years ago, on October 24, 2010, the Alerts participated and hosted a segment of the 2010 Downingtown Ghost Walk. The investigation team of the Downingtown Area Paranormal Investigators (DAPI) visited our firehouse several times over 2009 and the summer of 2010 to evaluate and collect data of our firehouse being "haunted"! DAPI was able to collect some data showing that we have some friendly ghostly-activities happening on our property! Could it be some of our past ...members giving us some advice from beyond? For a few years, DAPI in conjunction with the Downingtown Borough, PA - Municipal Government hosted the community family-friendly Ghost Walk that visited several locations throughout our town and the Alert volunteers enjoyed hosting our Good Neighbor Community for those events. https://www.facebook.com/DowningtownAreaParanormalInvestigators/ #alertno45 #dapi #downingtown #gotghosts

Earlier this evening, the Downingtown Fire Dept. volunteers reviewed and practiced basic ground ladder operations from Tower 45 for our weekly training event. #alertno45 #firehousepride #helpfightfire #volunteertoday

This has been a busy Wednesday morning for the Alert volunteers! The DFD was dispatched to an auto accident on E. Lancaster Ave. at Brandywine Square at 8:00 AM. Rescue 45 (Capt. McCarrarher), Engine 45 (FF E. Lange) and Traffic 45 arrived to find a car that rear-end an empty school bus. The crews assisted the EMS and hazard control. Then the team took the opportunity to do a little training, to assist Crawfords Auto Center, Inc towing with cribbing and bottle jacks to s...eparate the bus from the car. As the team was putting the equipment back in service, the Engine and Rescue responded to assist Station 47 (Lionville Fire Company) at building fire on Uwchlan Ave., near Pottstown Pike. It was determined that the cause of the fire was a light ballast and the Engine and Rescue returned to station. Five minutes later Traffic 45 and the Downingtown Fire Police were dispatched to assist Station 38 (Thorndale Fire Company and Clubroom) at an auto accident on westbound Rt. 30 Bypass at Fisherville Rd. #alertno45 #trainingneverstops #heavyrescue #helpfightfire #downingtown

Kimberton Whole Foods has launched a program in 2020 called Rounding Up for Downingtown Fire Department. Throughout the month of October, our customers have the opportunity to round their total transaction to the nearest dollar. The difference will be a donation to an organization within their community and Kimberton Whole Foods will match our customer’s donations. Different non-profits have been selected each month throughout the year spanning from homeless shelters to n...ature preserves. The Downingtown location has chosen the two volunteer fire companies of the Downingtown Fire Dept. (Alert Fire Co. No. 1 and Minquas Fire Co. No. 2) as the organizations to benefit from our Rounding Up at the Register Program during the month of October to align with Fire Safety Awareness Month. Please visit Kimberton Whole Foods for more details through the following channels: https://www.kimbertonwholefoods.com/rounding-up-at-the.../ https://www.facebook.com/kwfdowningtown/ https://www.instagram.com/kimbertonwholefoods/