New Muncy fire station allows for faster response with more accessibility and space

Jul 29, 2023

Aug 30, 2023

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette CorrespondentThe new fire hall for the Muncy Area Volunteer Fire Company on Penn St. in Muncy is shown on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023.

MUNCY — There are not five but 10 bays at the new Muncy Area Volunteer Fire Co. station along East Penn Street.

Five bays are positioned in the front and five in the rear of the $2.4 million building, giving firefighters more ability to move equipment and apparatus in and out without delay, which can be costly when seconds count.

The front of the station is paved as is the rear, enabling the firefighters space to roll up and test fire hoses, which was not able to be done at the former Muncy fire station, Keystone Hook & Ladder Co.’s, cramped headquarters on Main Street in the borough of Muncy.

“You could not roll the hoses up on Main Street,” Chief 39 Scott Delany said with a grin as the junior firefighters and others lugged the hoses up after testing their efficiency.

Assistant Chief Dan Knapp, who has law enforcement experience, described the many engines and apparatus available at the station house serving all of Muncy Creek Township, Muncy Borough, half of Moreland Township and a small part of Anthony Township in Montour County.

The primary apparatus and pride of the station house is the ladder truck, which has a 75-foot ladder, the kind of ladder that is needed to access second and third floor roofs.

Next to it is the tanker truck, which holds 2,200 gallons of water, followed by the heavy-duty rescue vehicle.

“Each truck has a pump and is able to pump up to 1,500 gallons of water per minute,” Knapp said.

The company has two ambulances, one of which, during the tour, was assigned to a Muncy football game.

In the rear of the station is the water rescue equipment. Because of the nearby West Branch of the Susquehanna River, Muncy Creek and numerous tributaries, ponds and lakes, the station is prepared for water rescue assignments.

The company operates two boats, one of which is an inflatable and another aluminum hull.

A third inflatable boat is stored inside Utility 139, which is the main water rescue truck and has water rescue equipment on it.

In addition to water rescue, the area has its fair share of brush and wildfires. The station has a brush truck for such incidents, and it operates an additional utility vehicle.

The new station is expected to gain the interest of a new generation of firefighters and those serving in emergency medical service.

“We just took in seven new junior firefighters,” Delany said with a smile.

His grandson is one of them — a fourth-generation firefighter.

Many of the members, including associate members from other companies, will be at the station helping to sort out the equipment and position it for permanent use.

The modern building fits nicely with the Penn Street character of buildings. General contractor, Turnkey, did the majority of the work, while having subcontractors do various other jobs such as mechanical and electrical.

It did not take long to erect.

Groundbreaking took place last August. The volunteers began running calls about a week and half ago while the Little League World Series was in full swing.

Delany and Knapp gave credit to state Rep. Joe Hamm, R-Hepburn Township, for thinking about them in terms of state grants.

“When the two fire departments merged, we got twice or double the state grant amount for 10 years,” Delany said.

“It’s always been my concession that we should get that forever, because we are still covering the area of two departments,” he added.

“What occurred was, during the merger, for a 10-year period, the state allowed us as one department to receive the funds as if we were still separated,” Knapp said.

That helped with purchase of needed equipment to update and debt reduction, he said.

“After the 10-year period, which ended in 2021, we went down to receiving one grant rather than the two grants,” Knapp said.

Hamm was an advocate for the company to go back to the double grant.

As of last year, the state Legislature authorized merging fire departments to receive 20 years worth of the double grant rather than a decade.

“We missed a year of it,” Knapp said, adding that the next grant cycle begins in September.

The company then may be able to go back to the grant amount received before.

“Had it not been for Hamm, I don’t know if that would have happened because he was a big advocate for making that happen for us,” Delany said.

The leadership is grateful, too, for the many volunteers who have put in countless hours in preparation for the start up at the new station building.

“Most recently, in the last two weeks, many members were moving and sorting things up to 10 p.m.,” Delany said. The station got “a lot of help and support from the membership.”

“We don’t have all our stuff moved out,” he added. “We are finding a home for it.”

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

Wakeem Robinson, 43, of Williamsport, was treated at UPMC Williamsport for injuries he suffered when his bicycle ...

Pennsylvania College of Technology hosted “Let’s Talk, Vet 2 Vet,” on Monday. Organized by the Pennsylvania ...

Mary Wright, a Democrat, is running for controller in the City of Williamsport, after Councilwoman Liz Miele ...