Butler Township Fire District adds bunk beds to Meridian Station
BUTLER TWP — In an effort to draw in more firefighters and provide a better atmosphere for its volunteers, the Butler Township Volunteer Fire District has finished a $45,000 renovation project to the Meridian Station that includes eight new beds.
The fire district, at 121 Sparks Ave., has about 45 active firefighters and hopes to bringing in more recruits, said Scott Frederick, the township’s director of emergency services.
“It's a recruitment and retention effort,” said Frederick, whose job also includes the roles of fire chief and fire marshal. “Total construction was about four weeks, but with the planning process from design to completion was about eight months.”
Butler Township commissioners’ president Dave Zarnick said the township has been reaching out to Butler Community College to set up some partnerships to recruit incoming students.
Frederick said the district has fielded about 20 new applicants this year so far. With the increasing amount of service calls the district is seeing, new recruits are needed now more than ever, he said.
“It’s a constant recruiting effort,” Frederick said. “I'm hoping to get some more events next year like open houses to try and get people to come to the fire department and see what it's all about. It's a community engagement campaign with recruitment as a benefit.”
The district responded to 653 service calls in 2021 and 805 in 2022. The district is on pace this year to reach more than 900 calls, Frederick said.
The renovation project was done with the assistance of American Legion Post 778, which donated $2,000 to help furnish the living spaces in the two rooms converted from a gym and an office.
“We were fortunate enough the Legion helped with the purchase of the furniture as a donation to the fire department,” Zarnick said. “The Legion have been very good supporters of the fire department. They have donated to us in the past.”
The fire district does have some junior firefighters on staff, Frederick said, and are recruiting through local high schools and the Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School. Junior firefighters are able to start at age 14, but due to child labor laws are limited in what they can do and the number of hours they can volunteer.
“They are able to respond on certain calls and hopefully we can keep their interest long enough so when they are of age they can participate and serve the community,” Frederick said.
Fire districts like Butler Township are always in need of help on all fronts, Zarnick said, not just on the front lines.
“We are always looking for more,” Zarnick said. “You don't have to be a firefighter. We are looking for administrative personnel to help with the paperwork and people to help with fundraising. There is something for everyone.”
Those interested in learning more about the fire district and its volunteer opportunities can visit the Lyndora station at 114 Whitestown Road at 7 p.m. every Monday to pick up an application during its training sessions.
