MOUNT POCONO, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Marking a huge milestone, a local volunteer fire company in the Poconos is celebrating a century of service.
Hitting triple digits of service, it’s an accomplishment worth bragging about here at the Pocono Mountain Volunteer Fire Company.
“One of the best things I ever heard was, ‘the greatest thing since sliced bread,’ well, we’ve been around longer than sliced bread!” said Terry Cramer, president of Pocono Mountain Volunteer Fire Company.
Last-minute prep was happening Friday morning under the big top tent behind the fire hall, all for the fire company’s 100th anniversary celebration.
Former manager of children’s non-profit sentenced on fraud chargesTimes have definitely changed since its start back in 1925.
“The building that is behind me, that is our firehouse, was originally constructed as a bingo hall,” explained Chief Logan Evans.
Also added were modern-day vehicles and equipment.
“The firefighters themselves went from essentially no training to hundreds of hours of training, they went from not wearing hardly any protective equipment to tens of thousands of dollars worth of stuff,” said Chief Evans.
The 100th anniversary celebration is one of many fundraisers held by the volunteer fire company, as it relies heavily on community donations.
“A lot of what we do, you don’t get a thank you, and that’s okay, but when people help us to help them, that’s what it’s all about,” said Chief Evans.
The event running through Sunday will have a cornhole tournament, monster truck rides, food, and touch-a-truck for kids.
“It’s not just hoping in a truck and showing up you know, there’s gear, there’s the equipment on the trucks, what equipment to use, when to use it, what not to use, it’s more than just showing up,” explained Chief Evans.
A jam-packed weekend for fun, but also spreading fire safety and awareness for the volunteers.
“Back in the 80s, there were over 300,000 volunteers in Pennsylvania alone, but now we’re down to just over 30,000,” said Cramer.
Here’s to 100, and 100 more years.
Pocono Mountain Volunteer Fire Company’s 100th anniversary celebration begins at 6:00 p.m. Friday and will end with fireworks. Saturday and Sunday, the event will kick off at 10:00 a.m.