Firefighters and local elected officials gathered Tuesday at the property groundbreaking ceremony at 5440 US 522 S. The 3 acre property previously owned by McVeytown Fire Co. Lt. and Project Manager John Stoltzfus was purchased by the fire company earlier this year for their new 8,000 square foot building being built at an estimated cost 1.4 million dollars.

Stoltzfus donated a portion of this land where Mid-State Steel Buildings of McVeytown, Matt’s Excavating of Lewistown, and Sunderland Electric LLC of McVeytown will work to complete this project.

Firefighters young and old attended the evening groundbreaking ceremony led by McVeytown Fire Co. President Brock Foster. Foster thanked all those in attendance including about 30 to 40 firefighters, family members, and elected officials.

McVeytown Fire Co. Chief Mike Bulick said that this new building was a necessity due to the current building which is about 4,000 square feet was in need of several repairs and expansion which was not able to be completed. McVeytown Fire Co. Capt. Caleb Alexander credits this project being possible to the entire Stoltzfus family who willingly gave up valuable farm land to make this project come to fruition.

Sentinel photo by SAM BAUMGARDNER
Pictured is the blueprint for the third home of the McVeytown Fire Co.

McVeytown Borough President Steve Feathers and Council Members Keith Gruber and Steve Dillon all concurred with this statement. The trio said that unfortunately the current property which was built in 1971 situated at 5696 US 522 S. in McVeytown Borough had no room to expand and make the building more fitting for the size of new apparatus.

Oliver Township Supervisors Ryan Casner and Steve Byler along with Bratton Township Secretary Sharina Harshbarger said they felt that being on the edge of town and back off the road is going to make it so much easier and safer for apparatus and firemen to access the station. Whereas the current station sits right along US 522 and doesn’t even allow enough space on the station apron for apparatus to be pulled outside with the doors closed, let alone when apparatus returns from calls and has to block traffic to back into the station.

Long time McVeytown Fire Co. member Lynn Boozel says this new building is long overdue and with the new building it gives the company room to make improvements to better serve the community.

Another long time member John Massie said that since joining the company in 1982 he has been the company treasurer. He added that the membership roster has grown vastly in size.

Massie currently boasts a lot of young eager firefighters who provide decent sized turnouts for not only fire calls but fundraising which was not something that was doing well when he joined the company.

“We went from barely having money to keep the apparatus running to having the money to complete this project,” Massie said.