Of all types of disasters, from flooding to storm damage, a building fire can be one of the most dangerous and devastating events to impact your home or business. Before municipal fire departments were established in the United States, property owners were responsible for controlling and putting out any flames that affected their buildings. Over time, the need for community support and town protection from fires proved incredibly necessary. In Downingtown, PA, and other towns in the area, fire stations grew over the last 135 years to the capable and reliable crews of firefighters they are today. Just as you can count on those firefighters to put out the flames, you can count on ServiceMaster Professional Cleaning and Restoration for comprehensive fire damage restoration in Downingtown, PA, and the surrounding area.
Fire Damage Restoration
Our team of expert fire damage restoration technicians can reverse the effects of a fire in your home or business, including reconstruction, salvaging belongings, and long-term recovery of safety standards. We’ve served the community for almost 30 years, but the Downingtown Fire Department has been around for much longer.
Brief Chronology of Downingtown Firefighting
- 1887: The first Downingtown firefighting efforts were established with the Alert Fire Company No. 1. It purchased its first hand-drawn hook and ladder truck only a few months later.
- 1891: The company built its first dedicated firehouse on 17 Downing Avenue.
- 1892: A severe fire that impacted the Masonic Hall and other buildings prompted the town council to purchase the fire company’s first steam engine, which arrived in the summer. Soon after, the Alert Fire Company No. 1 joined the Firemen’s Association of the State of Pennsylvania.
- 1908: The Alert Fire Company No. 1 was split to form the secondary fire station, the Minquas Fire Company No. 2, which served as a medical emergency support system for the Alert Company in addition to firefighting service.
- 1919: The Downingtown fire companies purchased their first motorized fire truck.
- 1941: The Great Depression of the 1930s and other factors halted the 1929 proposal to begin building a new fire station that could house motorized equipment. In fact, it wasn’t until 1940 that the company could begin building the current station standing on 122 Pennsylvania Avenue. The fire station was completed in 1941 and is still the home base of the Alert Fire Company No. 1.
Since the new station was built in 1941, the Downingtown Fire Department continued to grow, improve practices, and update equipment accordingly to keep its communities safe from dangerous fires and other emergencies.
For more information about how we work with firefighters to gain knowledge about incidents and progress forward with fire damage restoration in Downingtown, PA, contact ServiceMaster Professional Cleaning and Restoration at (610) 524-8003 to reach our main office in Exton, PA.