After organizing officers and members in 1912—and thanks to the considerable work of dedicated citizens—a charter was applied for on January 3, 1913, and subsequently granted on April 7, 1913, establishing the Citizens Volunteer Hose Company No. 1 of Birdville, Pennsylvania (Station 2 of Harrison Township). The original purpose of the organization was to form a Hook and Ladder company to control fires. The company began service with two axes, twelve three-gallon buckets, six ladders, and fifty-two charter members.

On March 17, 1936, Citizens Volunteer Hose Company established Harrison Township’s first and only ambulance service, providing transportation and pre-hospital care for the sick and injured.

In 1973, Citizens Hose became the first fire department in western Pennsylvania to employ the “Jaws of Life,” then the latest advancement in rescue equipment. This innovation helped pave the way for larger departments, including the City of Pittsburgh, to adopt similar tools.

Over the past century, Citizens Volunteer Hose Company has undergone significant changes in methods, equipment, and services. Today, the company staffs nine vehicles equipped with specialized tools to provide elite firefighting, rescue, and ambulance services to the community.

Citizens Hose was formerly dispatched by Harrison Township Dispatch as Station 20.                                                                                              

Past Equipment

Rescue 23

 

 

Medic 114 – 2010 Ford F350/AEV 

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Old photos from various years