History of WTVFC

In October of 1961, ten members of the Civil Defense organization went to Greensburg to apply for a Charter for a new fire company, On December 8, 1961, the Charter was received for the Washington Township Volunteer Fire Company and Relief Association. The Ladies Auxiliary was immediately formed for the purpose of supporting the Fire Company, although it was later dissolved in 1976.

VIEW A COPY OF OUR CHARTER HERE.

Now, with a fire company and a lot of ambition, the group got to work. A truck committee was formed and in December 1962, the company purchased a 1942 American La France, 12-cylinder, straight block engine from Kennedy Township Volunteer Fire Company for $2,250 and received their first fire gear as a donation from Kennedy Twp as well. The truck was housed at Baron’s Bus Garage, along with a 1000-gallon tank truck that was the men at Baron’s on a 1948 Ford Chassis. A siren, donated by the Irwin Works of U.S. Steel, was installed on top of a building at Saul Lumber Co., and it was tested and put into use for the first time on January 7, 1962 at 2:00pm.

5.05 acres of land from the Dale Adams property was purchased for $7,500 and plans were prepared to erect a 40’ x 116’ building. With a 100% backing from Blair Saul, on August 15, 1962, we broke ground on the station. With the help of many volunteers, only having contracted out the block laying and roof trusses, all of the work was completed with the first truck moving into the new building on December 20, 1962. An open house and dedication of the building was held on March 24, 1963. Roughly seven year later, a 60’x70’ addition to the hall was constructed to be the truck room for seven pieces of rolling equipment, storage, the chief’s office, and a firemen’s lounge.

In 1966, the LaFrance was replaced with a new fully equipped engine, and the addition of a new front mount pump tank truck and a 4-wheel drive brush truck completes the rolling equipment for the fire company.

Our fire company was originally part of Rainbow Control, a centralized dispatching center operating in Vandergrift, with the designation ‘Silver’. In 1989, Rainbow Control merged with our present-day 9-1-1 Westmoreland County dispatching center; we were now dispatched as Station 102.

Over the years, our department has seen many changes such as new apparatus, new members, and new facility updates. WTVFC 102 helps to protect 6,799 residents and primarily covers 100+ miles of the Washington Township area, as well as supporting neighboring fire departments.  

Our mission is to protect and serve our community through dedicated volunteer service, continuous improvement in training and equipment, and a strong commitment to safety and fire prevention.