On Tuesday, December 14 the COG Executive Committee gave Jim Steff, COG Executive Director, the OK, with a unanimous vote, to offer Steven Bair of Amherst, New Hampshire the newly formed job of Fire Director.  The new job takes the place of the Fire Administrator, formerly held by Walt Wise who retired.  Mr. Bair is expected to start the job in early February.

Mr. Bair is from the Harrisburg area and moved to New Hampshire in the 1980s.  He currently serves as a Deputy Chief. 

Congratulations to Mr. Bair on his new job, we look forward to working with you in the future!

With the addition of the Centre County Foam Trailer to our fleet, the Alpha Fire Co. held a training session with Jim Cottrell of Cottrell Associates, Inc. to learn the inner workings of the new trailer.

The Alpha Fire Co. will be responsible for responding and staffing the foam trailer when it is needed, either within Centre County or elsewhere.  The trailer was purchased by Centre County with a Homeland Security grant.  Once the trailer is put into service it will be housed at the College Township station and will be pulled by Engine 511, which has a maximum staffing of 5 personnel.

The training consisted of a classroom morning session that went over the inner workings and uses of the trailer and how foam works.  The afternoon session was hands-on.  The attendees went to Lot 83 on the Penn State campus to flow water/foam.  The foam being used is environmentally safe. 

On November 5, 2006 a couple of our life and associate members went to Kiski Township, Spring Church, Pa to bring home former Engine 511, a 1971 Mack Squrt.  The group arrived in Lemont, Pa shortly after 1 pm.  According to the group that brought the engine back to State College, "she made the 115 mile trip without any hesitation." 

Old Engine 511 was originally delivered to State College on October 22, 1971, and was officially dedicated in April of 1972, after the Squrt was installed.

The engine is currently owned by an associate member of the fire company.