McDonald Fire Co. marks 125 years
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
McDonald fire Chief Doug Cooper, left, and firefighters Joe Rehak, Jamie Wyke and Ernie Pusateri pose with an original piece of department equipment.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Bob Wasik holds a fire helmet that is more than 100 years old at McDonald Volunteer Fire Dept.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Bob Wasik holds a badge that is more than 100 years old at McDonald Volunteer Fire Dept.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
An old photo of members of McDonald Volunteer Fire Dept.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
An old bell that was once used by the McDonald Volunteer Fire Dept.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
An old piece of equipment, which was once used to locate a fire, occupies space at McDonald Volunteer Fire Dept.
There’s the well-preserved hose cart, circa 1893, that would distinguish itself on “Antiques Roadshow.” And the fire helmet and badge, each a testament to bravery and public service, each a century-plus old. And the aged bell, blaze-site locator and 1923 photo of a proud department.
McDonald Volunteer Fire Dept. is the possessor of this collection of collectibles, which serves as a chronicle of this unit’s lengthy history. The company is celebrating its quasquicentennial, which, despite appearances, has nothing to do with Sasquatch and everything to do with 125 years of dedication.
Since December 1894 – from President Grover Cleveland’s administration to Donald Trump’s – McDonald Fire has displayed a burning desire to protect, rescue and assist local residents and their homes and pets. It is not known whether the department is the oldest in Washington County, but the unit is likely among those with the greatest longevity, and it has a lot of stories to tell.
“You name it and we’ve done it,” said Doug Cooper, the McDonald fire chief and a 30-year member. “We went out to get a lizard one time, a Komodo dragon, which really looked nasty. We ran from it.
“The funny thing is, the fire department is the first place anyone calls for anything.”
Anything, indeed.
Cooper said when he became a firefighter in the late 1980s, the vast majority of phone calls were fire- or accident-related. He said those continue today, along with “calls to active-shooter situations, drug overdoses and hazardous materials. They’ve diversified quite a lot.”
Those diverse calls come into the McDonald Public Safety Building, home of fire and police units serving a borough that is mostly in Washington County, but partly in Allegheny. The fire company also is responsible for Robinson Township, Washington County, and assists units in Cecil Township and the Allegheny County communities of South Fayette and North Fayette.
“And anyone else who wants us,” chirped Bob Wasik, the McDonald department’s historian.
Operating a volunteer department today is not an easy endeavor, Cooper readily acknowledged. And it is a common sentiment among fire officials statewide. Funding and manpower are ongoing issues with many units. Equipment is expensive.
“The bulk of financing for volunteer companies comes through fundraisers,” Cooper said. “We do a lot of them.”
Recruiting and retaining firefighters has been an increasing challenge. A candidate has to go through hundreds of hours of training, which dissuades many from attempting to join. Family obligations keep some from pursuing. And the Junior Firefighter process, once a fertile proving ground for future departments, apparently appeals to fewer teens.
“When we came in in the early ’90s, we had 22 Junior Firefighters. We have six now,” Wasik said.
The cost of equipment is daunting. Cooper said the department paid $1,000 for its first fire truck in 1933. A new truck goes for about $500,000 today. Wasik said it costs $6,500 to fully outfit one firefighter.
And belonging to a volunteer department, in some ways, seems like a 24/7 proposition. Cooper said McDonald Fire got 449 calls last year – more than one a day. About half of them, according to the chief, were medical emergencies, including a number of overdoses.
By contrast, the company got 62 calls in 1962, all medical- and fire-related.
McDonald Volunteer Fire Dept. began 125 years ago as a merger of two units and continues on. The company was celebrated Saturday night at a dinner at the Red Fox Winery in Mt. Pleasant Township. This is a milestone few businesses or organizations approach.
Doug Cooper’s unit has the memorabilia to prove its durability, though. Memorabilia and memories.