The Moon Township Volunteer Fire Company is comprised of four stations; the main station is located at the Public Safety Building, the other stations include; Carnot station, Downes station and Boggs station. Station 197 covers approximately 24 square miles and provides fire/rescue protection to approximately 22,000 residents, 800 businesses, as well as Robert Morris University, which has approximately 5,100 students. 

On January 25, 1934, thirteen men of the Bon Meade neighborhood of Moon Township met at Keim’s community gas service station to discuss the formation of a volunteer fire company. The name of the company was to be the “Bon Meade Volunteer Fire Company.” It was to serve the some 1,500 people residing in Moon Township at that time.

On September 30, 1934 the proposed name was changed to Moon Township Volunteer Fire Company, to fit the needs of charter requirements. The chapter application was filed on October 2, 1934 and awarded in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County in January 1935.

The first fundraisers held in 1934 were dances and card parties, which were held at the Broadhead Park Dance Pavilion. The cost of admission to the dances was 25 cents per couple, or 15 cents per person. The band cost was $10.00. The 42 dances and card parties which were held during the year of 1934 netted a profit of $302.67.

On January 24, 1935 a general public meeting was held in the high school auditorium, to acquaint taxpayers of the lack of firefighting equipment in Moon Township. Fire Chiefs Barkowki of Glenwillard, Meanor of Imperial, Doughty of Allegheny County, Aiken of Ingram, Ferguson of Neville Island and Fire Marshal Pharr of Allegheny County spoke to the audience on behalf of the Volunteer Fire Company.

At the Moon Township Board of Supervisors meeting on September 2, 1938, a motion was made, seconded and passed, to place the following resolution on the special election ballot for November 8, 1938. The resolution read as follows; “Shall the Supervisors of the Township of Moon purchase and maintain fire apparatus for said township and provide a suitable place for the housing of the same.” The returns of the votes cast at the special election were; yes…764 and no…424.

Several meetings were held with the township supervisors on the purchase of the fire truck and on January 5, 1939, the supervisors had advertised for bids for a fire truck. Bids were let in February for a 1939 Brockway fire truck. The minutes of the July 6, 1939 meeting contained a mention of the discussion being held to purchase a fire hat, coat and boots for a price of $21.25. At that meeting, it is also noted that the formation of a Relief Association was accomplished.

Information from a deed recorded on September 29, 1941 states that on April 15, 1939 an agreement of sale, was made between James and Olive Edna Donnan and the Township of Moon, for the property on the Carnot-Stoops Ferry Road in Carnot for a Township Municipal building. James and Olive Edna Donnan, Horace Thomas Jr. and the Township solicitor signed the agreement, which was witnessed by Justice of the Peace Jeff Meanor of Moon Clinton Road. The cost of the property was $650.00. The 1939 Brockway was stored here when it was delivered. The Brockway shared a garage with the Township’s dump truck. This property, as well as an adjoining property owned by the Volunteer Fire Company, was combined when the Carnot station was rebuilt in 1991.

In September of 1946, the Ladies Auxiliary was formed to assist the fire company with fund raising. Between 1939 and 1956, the Volunteer Fire Company built several tankers and brush trucks from second hand equipment that was donated, or purchased at a cheap price. Some of these units were old gasoline tankers and chassis with an old oil storage tank mounted for carrying water to the fire scene. Money was hard to come by for the fire company. One demonstration of the lack of money was that one of the homemade tankers had a turn signal mounted on a windshield wiper motor that was mounted to the roof and used as a red warning light. During World War II, a self-contained engine 250 GPM pump was donated to the fire company by the Office of Civil Defense and mounted on a Dodge chassis. This gave the fire company two reliable units, in the event of an attack. This unit was used for many years after the war was over.

In 1956 the volunteers purchased a FWD pumper with a 750 GPM pump and a 500 gallon tank. This was the first commercially built unit since the Brockway was purchased in 1939. The Moon Township Supervisors agreed to take over the payments after the interest rates rose to a point, that the volunteers could not make the payments. Also in 1956 the Volunteer Fire Company opened its second station. An agreement was made with the Bon Meade Civic Association for garage space to house a truck. The 1939 Brockway was moved to this station and Bon Meade residents finally had a fire truck in their area. This is the station that today is known as the Boggs fire station.

In 1964 a 1250-gallon tanker was put in service at the Carnot station. In 1965 the volunteers built the third station in the Bon Air section of the township on Beaver Grade Road. This station was named the “Downes Station” in honor of George Downes who, from his store and his home in Carnot, answered the fire calls and would sound the siren to alert the volunteers. Mr. Downes did this for many years without compensation.

In 1966, two class A pumpers were purchased by the township and put into service. One went to the Downes Station and the other went to the Bon Meade Station. In 1974 the township purchased its first aerial truck. It was an 85’ Snorkel built by Snorkel Fire Equipment Company in St. Joseph, Missouri. Pierce Manufacturing Company in Appleton, Wisconsin built the body. This unit was housed at the Downes station until the Public Safety Building was completed in January of 1976. This unit is still serving Moon Township today and is housed at the Carnot station.

In 1986, a heavy duty rescue truck was purchased to carry all of the equipment that the fire company needed, because of increased demands on the fire company to provide this type of much needed service. In 1999 the second heavy rescue unit was put into service, and the 1986 rescue truck was converted into a trench rescue unit to meet the demands of our services. Between the years of 1992 and 2003, most of the old pumpers had been replaced with new units. The purchase of a 101’ Grumman aerial in 1992 resulted in a major change in procedures for the Moon Township Fire Company.

The most recent replacement pumper units were made in 2003 and 2009. Most of these replacements units were accomplished with the backing and monetary support of the Township of Moon Board of Supervisors, and the involvement of the membership of the Moon Township Fire Company.

The mission statement of the Moon Township Volunteer Fire Company reads; “To be one of the best equipped and trained volunteer fire companies in the state of Pennsylvania, committed to serve the citizens of Moon Township through public education and public relations, while being dedicated to saving lives and protecting property. To recruit and maintain a dedicated membership, while promoting harmony and understanding within our ranks.” The mission of the Moon Township Volunteer Fire Company remains the same, as our founders found it necessary to organize the Fire Company. That mission reads; “To be one of the best.”

There is a story behind how Moon Township Volunteer Fire Company apparatus is blue, instead of the traditional red and it goes something like this; Mr. Frank Ofeldt II, of the old Homestead Valve Company, who invented the high pressure Steam Jenny, offered to clean up the Moon Township Volunteer Fire Company 1939 Brockway for them. However the concentration mix for the cleaning fluid was too strong and it took the paint of the Brockway off, completely down to the bare metal. At that time, Fire Chief Charles Belgie Sr. owned a blue Oldsmobile, and he liked the color so much that he had the Brockway re-painted the same shade of blue. So that is how it became today that the Moon Township Fire Company apparatus is blue.

Moon Township Volunteer Fire Company answers approximately 300 calls a year. They operate 14 pieces of apparatus out of the four stations, including; 5 Engines, 2 Aerials, 2 Rescues, 1 Brush Truck and 4 Squads. They also have vehicles for the Fire Chief, Fire Marshal and Duty Chief.  

This year Moon Township Volunteer Fire Company celebrates it 75^th year of protecting the people who live or work in Moon Township. Congratulations on 75 great years, may you enjoy many more years of great service that you all provide.

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