Upper Gwynedd Fire Department

Description

Formed in 1908 by forty West Point residents, the West Point Volunteer Fire Company received its charter in 1909. A hand-drawn fire cart was the first piece of equipment purchased and was housed in the garage of W.W. Bean until 1912 when the Company purchased a lot at Second and Garfield Avenues in West Point and built the first fire station. The Company purchased its first motorized apparatus in 1917. The Fire Company moved to its present location in 1942 and in 1962 the station was renovated and a major addition was added.

Upper Gwynedd Township officially recognized the West Point Volunteer Fire Company as the Upper Gwynedd Township Fire Department by Ordinance 83-5. At that time, the West Point Volunteer Fire Company officially changed its name to the Upper Gwynedd Fire Department, West Point Station.

In April 1997, the Department dedicated a new addition to the Fire Station. This renovation expanded the Engine Room and added bunk rooms with shower facilities. These new facilities allow volunteers to sleep overnight at the Station, thereby improving response time to emergencies.

Funds to support the Department are generated by the Annual Fund Drive, rental of the Department's Banquet Hall, and hoagie sales on the second Saturday of each month.

Prospective new members are always welcome. For further information about the Upper Gwynedd Fire Department, call 215-699-5454 or stop at the West Point Station on Tuesday evenings. Check out their website at www.ugfd.org