In February
the Fort Washington
Fire Company responded to:
46 Alarms
Averaging 15.1
responders per call
Totaling
240
responder hours
For All of 2007 the Fort
Washington Fire Company Responded to:
627 Alarms
Averaging 18 responders per call
Totaling 4662 responder hours
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Profile Of The Month
By
Denny Zwicker
Each month we profile one of
the many Volunteers that make up the Fort Washington
Fire Company. This month we are highlighting
Andrew Rathfon
 Meet
Andy Rathfon
The Fort Washington Fire Company's newest addition
to the rank of Lieutenant is Andy Rathfon. Born in
1979 in Philadelphia, Andy spent his early years in
the Roxborough section of the city.
His family moved to Madison Avenue, around the
corner from the Summit Avenue Fire Station when Andy
was 5. This is where he grew up, attending Upper
Dublin schools with his younger brothers Jeremy and
'JL'. Younger brother 'JL' is also
a member of the fire company and
is currently away at college.
Andy kept busy in high school with sports and the
Boy Scouts. He earned his Eagle Scout in 1994. Upon
graduating from UDHS in 1997, Andy headed off to
Wittenberg College in Ohio, admittedly more
interested in playing lacrosse than studying. But
his attitude quickly changed, and he graduated in
2001 with numerous honors and a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Social Studies.
After graduation, Andy returned home to Madison
Avenue. He started substitute teaching at several
local school districts and learned two things, he
loved working with the children but did not like the
confinement of the classroom. At about this same
time Andy realized that he now had the time and
opportunity to do something he had thought about
often as a busy teenager and especially since the
catastrophic events of September 11th. He submitted
his application to join the fire company he had
grown up around the corner from and was accepted
into membership in 2002.
Continued
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This is one of a series of newsletters from the Fort
Washington Fire Company No.1 in an effort to keep
the citizens and taxpayers of Upper Dublin informed
about the many and varied activities carried out by
our organization. Anyone may opt out of receiving
these e-mailed newsletters by clicking on the
unsubscribe link at the bottom of this Newsletter.
In each newsletter we will endeavor to provide
information that is informative, useful and even
entertaining. |
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A
Letter From Our President
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 2008
marks the 100th Anniversary of the Fort Washington
Fire Company. Since 1908, we have enjoyed a rich and
proud history and remain a 100% volunteer fire
company, committed to excellence in every aspect of
our organization. This task is becoming increasingly
challenging in the current environment given the
time constraints both within and outside the fire
house. It is a testimony to the dedication of our
volunteer membership that we have been able to
continue providing outstanding service to the
citizens of Upper Dublin Township, while saving
taxpayers an estimated four (4) million dollars per
year!
Our community is
aware of the service commitment in terms of
responses to fire calls (Fort Washington Fire
Company is one of the busiest fire companies in
Montgomery County, responding to an average of 700
calls per year). However, the job does not begin or
end there. To ensure up-to-date training, we drill
every week as well as attending specialized classes
and instruction. We also sponsor an active fire
prevention program that conducts year-round
programs. Our Grant Committee has secured grants
worth over a quarter of a million dollars over the
past four years, further decreasing the tax burden
on Township residents. Our Information Technology
Committee now compiles all the data now required of
fire companies, whether volunteer or career. In
addition, many of our members have either served or
are currently serving in the Armed Forces. And, each
December, we bring joy to the children of our
Township through Santa’s visit and gifts provided
with the compliments of our members.
As the newly
elected President of the Fire Company, it is both an
honor and privilege to represent the dedicated men
and women of the Fort Washington Fire Company at
this historical juncture. To continue our mission,
we encourage all people sixteen years or older who
would like to join or participate in any capacity,
to visit us at either station on any Monday evening.
Jeffrey Fogel,
M.D.,
President |
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Is There A
Smoker in your Home?
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By
Howard Schmuckler
Eighty-two percent of all fire deaths
occur in the home, with careless smoking being the
second leading cause of fire deaths. In
2005, there were an estimated 82,400
smoking-material fires in the United States, with
800 civilian deaths and 1,660 civilian injuries.
Older adults are at the highest risk of death or
injury from smoking-material fires even though they
are less likely to smoke than younger adults. The
most common material first ignited in home
smoking-material fire deaths were mattresses and
bedding, and upholstered furniture.
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In
June, the Fort Washington Fire Company, an all
volunteer fire company, will celebrate it's 100th
Anniversary. What appears next is a short history
of volunteer firefighting.
The first volunteer fire department was established
in Philadelphia, by Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin
Franklin often wrote about the dangers of fire and
the need for organized fire protection in his
newspaper, The Pennsylvania Gazette. He was familiar
with Boston’s Mutual Fire Societies which were also
known as “Fire Clubs”. But the “Fire Clubs” existed
for the protection of its members, not the community
at large. Ben Franklin wanted organizations that
would battle all fires, regardless of whose property
was burning.
Some famous Americans who served as volunteer
firefighters were: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas
Jefferson, George Washington, Samuel Adams, John
Hancock, Paul Revere, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay,
John Barry, Aaron Burr, Benedict Arnold, James
Buchanan and Millard Fillmore.
Continued:
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