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Richland Township Fire & Rescue
was founded in a private residence garage in early 1933. People needing the
Fire Company would call a local family who would take their information then
proceed to the third floor of their home and hand crank a siren to alert
firefighters.
In 1948 the Fire Company purchased
land and improvements on Shelly Road, Richland Township. This two bay garage
would serve as the fire station. Sometime in the 1950's an additional bay was
built on the north side of the original building to help house the growing fire
company needs.
May 31, 1957, and again on July
11, 1969 the Fire Company purchased additional lands around the station for
possible future expansion. In 1977 after several years of fund raising an 8
bay Engine House addition was built on the north side of the original
firehouse to house all the equipment. At that time the original building was
converted to a social hall, which is still in use today.
Shelly Fire Company bought its
first new fire engine in 1954, an International with a three-stage fire pump.
In 1974 we bought a MB600 diesel MACK Fire Engine, with a 1000 gpm water
pump. We also acquired a used International oil delivery truck, which was
converted to a water tanker.
In 1977 The Ladies Auxiliary
donated funds to purchase a Chevrolet Box Utility truck, at that time the
Fire Company began Rescue services to the community.
In the 1980's a 1974 MACK diesel
chassis replaced the International Tanker.
In the mid 1980's we purchased an
F600 Ford stake body truck and converted it to our rescue truck, the 1977
Chevrolet utility was then converted to a special service vehicle until it
was taken out of service in the mid 1990's a 1987 FOUR GUYS/ MACK TANKER
PUMPER with a 1500 gpm Hale Pump was added to the fleet.
As we entered the 1990's our
original new fire engine the 1954 International was sold to a collector for
restoration and preservation.
In 1994 we purchased an
E-ONE/FREIGHTLINER Commercial Chassis Fire Engine with a 1250 gpm Hale Pump,
at that time our aging 1974 MACK Fire Engine was sold to a restoration
company in South Carolina for conversion to a Tanker for a company in
Georgia. That brings us to present day.
In December of 1999 the department
purchased a 1995 E-One Cyclone Heavy Rescue Truck. This unit entered service
in early 2000, the F600 former rescue has been converted to a special
service. In 2002 the ford F600 was sold to Grants Auto Salvage. The RTFR then
purchased a 1993 GMC utility truck from the Upper Saucon Fire Dept. Lehigh
county along with their 1993 Wells Fargo collapse trailer. RTFR started a Technical
Rescue team which serves the five areas surrounding Bucks county.
In 2007 the GMC Utility truck was
sold to Montgomery County Chief 42 for his personal use, Shelly Fireman’s
Relief Association then purchased a 2008 Chevy 3500 diesel Dually pickup
utilized for QRS and a support piece for the Technical Rescue trailer.
In 2010, the department took delivery
of a 2010 HME/Ahrens Fox 6 man Pumper Tanker.
This vehicle is used to supply water in non-hydrant areas with in the
local area. This truck will also be
equipped as an engine due to low man power during the day. By doing so the department is combining the
traditional engine idea with 3,000 gallons of water to help prevent
firefighters from running out of water when they are inside on a fire attack.
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