Abington Fire Department Reaches Out During Relay

The Abington Township Fire Department gave young people participating in the 24-Hour Relay Challenge on Saturday a chance to learn about volunteer firefighting through hands-on demonstrations.

Relay participants and stopped by the fire department’s tent at Memorial Field and try on helmets, boots, jackets and other firefighting gear.

Those who were interested in testing their skills were invited to use fire extinguishers to put out controlled fires; some crawled through a smoke-filled room while wearing firefighting gear, and some operated hoses to knock down traffic cones with guidance from volunteers from the fire department’s five fire companies — Abington, Edge Hill, Roslyn, McKinley and Weldon.

“Events like this provide us the perfect opportunity to educate the public about fire prevention, display our fire apparatus and equipment, and have the chance to recruit new members,” McKinley Fire Co. Chief Engineer Casey Haney said.

“Community outreach is important to the [fire department] and this is another way we help inform residents what we do for them every day,” McKinley Fire Company President Paul Conroy said.

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Information courtesy of Phil Ellingsworth Jr./Abington Fire Department