The executive of the McKeesport Fire Department is the fire chief, who is appointed by the mayor. The current fire chief is Jeffrey Tomovcsik, appointed in 2015. The department consists of four platoons, each comprising one deputy chief, one captain and three firefighters, as well as twelve part-time firefighters and the city electrician. Each platoon is on duty for a 24‐hour period, followed by 72 hours off duty. This is supplemented by three part‐time personnel each shift working 12- or 24‐hour or periods.
Facilities
Station 1
This facility is located within the McKeesport Public Safety Building on Lyle Boulevard in downtown McKeesport and serves as the administrative headquarters.
The department provides river rescue services in conjunction with the McKeesport Police Department, with medical support from the McKeesport Ambulance Rescue Service. The department also contributes resources to the Allegheny County Swiftwater/Flood Response Team and, under agreement with the United States Coast Guard, McKeesport River Rescue responds to incidents along the Monongahela River between the locks and dams at Elizabeth and Braddock. The department operates a 24-foot Firehawk boat with firefighting capabilities. This was built by Harbor Guard Boats in 2008 through a Department of Justice grant and is operated jointly with the police department. This replaced converted pleasure craft previously used by the department.
History
1873-1891
The Eagle Volunteer Fire Company was established in the then Borough of McKeesport in 1873. On October 4, 1877, McKeesport suffered a major fire when the Enterprise Foundry and Car Shop at Fifth Avenue and Market Street caught alight. Rapid spread resulted in damage to 32 buildings. The first organized department was created by the borough in 1885 by hiring one man responsible for maintaining a hose reel and a hook and ladder. The first officially recorded fire occurred on December 9, 1887, at the City Flour Mill on Jerome Street and caused an estimated $60,000 in damage.
1891-2000
The department expanded greatly following McKeesport's incorporation as a city in 1891. In 1892 two fire stations were built at a combined cost of $86,000 and in 1893 the Central Fire Station was constructed on Market Street and Fourth Avenue. In 1914, the first motor vehicle was placed in service at the Central Fire Station and in 1919, three pumpers were purchased and deployed to Central Station and Stations #2 and #3, as well as a 65 ft. aerial ladder to the Central Station and a ladder truck to Station #3. The same year, the system of firefighters being on duty for twenty-four hours a day for ten days, with a single rest day, was replaced with a two platoon system where firefighters worked 7 days a week, and on Sundays worked 24 hours straight when they changed from day to night shifts. On March 10, 1938, firefighters were given a day off each week by a change in state law and 1951 the system was completely overhauled as firefighters were put on eight hour shifts. Between 1950 and the mid-1960s the majority of the original stations were demolished as part of the city's redevelopment strategy. On May 21, 1976, a fire developed on the roof of the Famous Department Store, believed to be caused by workers using cutting torches. The initial flames on the roof were spotted by Fire Chief David Fowler from his office in the nearby Municipal Building. Due to strong winds and holes cut in the roof which served as chimneys, the building was engulfed within four minutes and the fire subsequently spread over a two-block radius, destroying an Elks lodge, school, cinema, theater, stores and a restaurant and damaging a number of other businesses. Spot fires developed throughout the city due to flying embers. The department was unable to handle the scale of the fire and was aided by companies from the cities of Duquesne, Clairton and Pittsburgh, over 40 volunteer fire companies from surrounding communities and the Pennsylvania National Guard. In 1981, the fire department adopted the present system of platoons and rotation, allowing a reduction in the number of firefighters. In 1991 the current Station #2 on Eden Park Boulevard was opened.
2000-present
On the day of the September 11, 2001, attacks, two McKeesport firefighters traveled to the World Trade Center site to participate in recovery efforts for a three day period. In November of 2005, the first part-time firefighters in the history of the department were hired and in 2007, the department participated in an external firefighter certification testing pilot program. This saw the majority of the personnel certified to Firefighter II level. In November 2013 Fire Chief Kevin Lust was injured while assisting in extinguishing a three-alarm fire. He was temporarily replaced by Captain Jeff List during his two-month recovery. List was subsequently appointed Fire Chief in January 2015, but would resign his position in June when Tomovcsik was then appointed Chief. During a severe ice storm in November 2014, four firefighters were seriously injured when Engine 190 skidded on black ice approaching the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge, left the road and rolled down an embankment. The apparatus was deemed a total loss and sold to a heavy equipment rebuilding company where it was refurbished to modern standards. The apparatus was repurchased by the department after it failed to sell in online auctions and the price was reduced. In 2015, the department purchased a custom-built apparatus, re-adopting the historical all-red paint scheme.
