About Mont Alto Vol. Fire Department
June 17, 1916 the Pearl Fire Department had been organized in Mont Alto. At a July 6, 1916 meeting, officers were elected. The department approved the by-laws on August 2, 1916. The last recorded activities of the Pearl Fire Company were dated August 28, 1916.
In 1925, Mont Alto borough council purchased about 300 feet of 2 ½ inch hose and 200 feet of uncertain aged hose. This was all the equipment the borough had for fire protection. Later, council purchased a 12 foot extension ladder, two hand extinguishers, 300 feet of hose and a fire siren. The siren was mounted on a cross bar between two poles 20 feet above the ground, located in the square directly in front of what is now the borough office. But the borough still did not have a fire company.
Years later in 1931, a residence on Penn Street (back street) was destroyed in a fire. Residents had responded to the fire, but due to lack of equipment and training, their efforts to combat the fires failed.
Residents used some of the equipment that the borough council purchased at the Penn Street residence fire, but it was necessary to carry the hose in 50-foot sections from the stable to the hydrant on Main Street. Ladders also had to be carried by hand.
Council later purchased a hand-drawn hose reel and hand-drawn chemical Engine from the borough of Steel ton. These were stored in a shed on Penn street but never used. Sometime later, they were sold for scrap.
Shortly after the Penn Street residence fire, Sam Frampton and Wayne McNesse called a meeting on February 5, 1931 for the purpose of either reviving the Pearl Fire Company or organizing a new one. A second meeting was held February 12, 1931, at which time a committee was named to organize a fire company and draft a constitution and by-laws, the committee was Sam Frampton, H.G. Lewis, E.J. Bittner, H.E. Taylor and Wayne McNesse.
Officers were elected at a February 26, 1931 meeting. This was the beginning of the Mont Alto Volunteer Fire Company No. 1.
On April 10, 1931 borough council turned over all the firefighting equipment to department, including the fire siren, a Studebaker touring car, 600 feet of fire hose, two 15-foot ladders, three Colt cutoff type nozzle, one play pipe, two 2.5 gallon hand extinguisher with five refills, two fire axes and two spanner wrenches. This equipment was stored in Clyde Kuhn's garage, which is now 3 South Main Street.
In July 1931, the Mont Alto Volunteer Fire Department was formed. Franklin County President Judge Watson R. Davison approved the Charter. September 1931 Mont Alto became a member of the Franklin County Fireman's Association. The first Franklin County Fireman's Association was held by Mont Alto Volunteer Fire Company June 15-16, 1932
Company Overview
The Mont Alto Fire/EMS company is located in Mont Alto, Pennsylvania. Operated as combination volunteer/career station. Our ambulance squad is staffed by career EMS crews 24/7, while the fire department is all volunteer. The company answers around 300 fire related calls and around 1200 EMS related calls per year. Mont Alto Fire Company currently has 2 Engines, 1 Tanker, 1 Brush Truck, and 1 Utility Truck. The Ambulance Squad currently has 2 BLS Ambulances for emergency calls and 1 Littervan for routine transports.
