THE LIMERICK FIRE COMPANY
A Brief History: 1921 - Present
The Limerick Fire Company was organized in 1921 and chartered as a volunteer fire company in 1927. The company was chartered to service Limerick Township, Montgomery County and is one of only two fire companies servicing in Limerick Township. It received an advanced ruling from the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1988. The fire company began with twenty-seven charter members. Today, membership exceeds 250 people with 35 active firefighters. In 1927, Limerick Township was a mostly rural – primarily agricultural – community. Today the township is a major suburban hub with a mostly residential population approaching 14,000 people in more than 5,000 households.
Through the years, the Limerick Fire Company – an all volunteer service – has kept pace with the changing needs of the area through facilities, equipment, volunteers and training. These changes have been significant. The Limerick Nuclear Power Plant necessitates on-going specialized training for nuclear incidents. The construction of the Route 422 by-pass necessitated the addition of vehicle rescue services. The fire company began providing this service in 1996. Since then they have performed nearly ninety (90) vehicle rescue extrication’s saving over 100 lives. This major transportation artery also brought incredible population growth.
This growth is documented in the census counts showing a 102.3% increase in the population between 1990 and 2000 – from 6,691 to 13,534. The fire company’s emergency response volume has tripled since 1990.
Emergency Call Volume
In 2001 there were 397 emergency calls needing an average of nine fire fighting personnel per call. Through October 31, 2002, we have run 351 emergency calls. This projects out to 421 total emergency calls. This will be a 6% increase over 2001. In 2002 alone, we have performed fourteen (14) confirmed vehicle extrications. To date, 87% of our total emergency responses are in Limerick Township. Our mutual outside of Limerick township accounts for only 13% of our total emergency responses.
Apparatus
1928 American LaFrance Pumper (Red in Color) |
RETIRED 1950 |
1950 International High Pressure Fog Pumper – Limerick 1 (1st Green Fire Truck) |
RETIRED 1981 |
1957 Chevy Panel Van - Utility - Limerick 6 |
RETIRED 1976 |
1964 Ford Hahn 750 GPM/750 Water Pumper – 54-21 |
RETIRED 1990 |
1968 Ford Tanker 425 GPM/2,000 Water – Tanker 54 |
RETIRED 2004 |
1976 Ford Boyertown Utility – 54-82 |
SOLD 2000 to Ridley Twp. |
1979 Chevy Saulsbury Fire Police Truck – 54-9 (Former Collegeville 34-6) |
SOLD 2000 to Ridley Twp. |
1980 Ford E-350 Chassis w/Ranger Body – Traffic 54 (Former Pennsburg) |
SOLD 2010 |
1981 Ford Hahn 1,000 GPM/1,000 Water Pumper – 54-22 |
RETIRED 1997 |
1989 E-One Cyclone Engine 1,500 GPM/1,000 Water - Engine 54 |
SOLD 2009 to Screven, GA |
1990 Pace American Generator Trailer 28 kw Power Plant – Spec. Serv.-54 |
SOLD 2009 |
1997 Duplex-LTI Rescue Engine 1,750 GPM/500 Water – Squad 54 |
SOLD 2012 to Albertis, PA |
2000 Ford Expedition Officer’s Vehicle |
SOLD 2009 to Linfield, PA |
2001 E-One Cyclone II HP-100 Ladder 2,000 GPM/500 Water – Ladder 54 |
SOLD 2017 to Nocona, TX |
2010 Ford Explorer - Utility 54 |
IN-SERVICE |
2010 KME Predator Engine 2,000 GPM/750 Water – Engine 54 |
IN-SERVICE |
2011 Ford F-350 Super Duty - Traffic 54 |
IN-SERVICE |
2013 KME Predator Rescue Pumper 1,500 GPM/500 Water - Rescue 54 |
IN-SERVICE |
2013 Chevrolet Tahoe Command Vehicle - Command 54 |
IN-SERVICE |
2015 Chevrolet Tahoe Command Vehicle - Chief 54 |
IN-SERVICE |
2016 Firematic Rally B.R.A.T. 1000 Ford Brush Truck 245 GPM/250 Water - Field 54 |
IN-SERVICE |
2017 E-One HP 95 Mid-Mount Platform - Tower 54 |
IN-SERVICE |
|