Kirwan Heights Firefighters Revitalize Aging Fire Hall

The Kirwan Heights volunteer firefighters are nearing the end of a five-year renovation project that has revitalized their 80-year-old fire hall that barely met code.

in Collier Township has spent about $100,000 to upgrade the computer systems, locker room, kitchen, and front façade among other improvements.

“It was just to bring it up to code, really,” Kirwan Heights fire Chief Mark Lewis said. “It had been let go for so many years and we needed to fix it.”

The Kirwan Heights Volunteer Fire Department began in 1926 as a fire company within the mill just down the road. The firefighters moved into the current location four years later and the building expanded over time.

As firefighting evolved over the years, the rickety old hall lagged in many amenities that other departments had.

Lewis said the department recently received grant money to outfit the station with a computerized roll call system that lets the chief know which firefighters will be responding to an emergency. Each firefighter can call into a number and their name will appear on the computer screen in the locker room.

“They used to blow the whistle and stand outside hoping (the firefighters) would show up,” Lewis said. “Now you just look at this computer while getting dressed.”

 There is another computer now bolted into one of the fire trucks that gives the team information directly from Allegheny County emergency dispatchers.

But not all of the improvements include technology. Lewis said the main meeting room and kitchen were “deplorable” and needed to be overhauled.

The aging kitchen that sits just beneath the street-level was barely usable and Lewis wondered if they might have to fill it in and close off the area. But instead, they used donations from nearby Giffin Interior & Fixture to remodel the kitchen, which is an essential room for a 24-hour fire station.

The department also installed a natural gas-powered generator that proved to be vital during the heavy snowstorm in February 2010. While the neighborhood lost power for three days, the firefighters used the department as a shelter and warming station.

“It’s one of the best investments we’ve had,” Lewis said.

But the most obvious changes has been to the exterior.

The department recently installed a new flagpole that was bent by high winds. And the firefighters scrubbed up the exterior, installed a new sign and painted the brick facade in fire engine red. The members have done much of the work themselves, likely saving thousands of dollars.

The pride of rebuilding an aging fire station could be seen on Lewis’ face as he showed off the improvements.

“There’s a lot of history here,” Lewis said. “We’re proud of it, and our forefathers – and my grandfather – would be very proud of what it is today.”

Of course, there is more work to be done. Lewis and company are searching for grant money to make the building more energy efficient. They’re considering purchasing a plumbing system that uses rain water, and the department may one day be installing solar panels on the roof or a small wind turbine to generate power.

“We’re always thinking of more things to do,” Lewis said.