Fire company in Shaler marks 115th anniversary with renovation, new pumper

Shaler’s Undercliff Volunteer Fire Company has more reason to celebrate its 115th anniversary than merely a number.

This year, the company finally received a new pumper truck that was ordered back in 2021. And thanks to a home-improvement corporation’s generosity, Undercliff’s building on Mt. Royal Boulevard is undergoing its first major renovation since 1986.

On Oct. 2, firefighters and friends gathered to welcome a Seagrave Marauder truck — the pride of Clintonville, Wis. — featuring a 2,000-gallon-a-minute pump and a spacious cab that can hold six passengers.

Three days later, Lowe’s Companies Inc. employees joined other volunteers to work on spiffing up the building’s interior, with breakfast donated by the Salvation Army and lunch by the Olive Garden.

“Community support is very important to Lowe’s,” Melanie Pigott, manager of the store in Richland, said. “Today, we had about 25 associates show up from a couple of the surrounding stores, and we did some painting for the fire department. It’s a very nice opportunity, and I’m humbled to be a part of it.”

Among those wielding paintbrushes were state Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-West View, and state Rep. Lindsay Powell, D-Lawrenceville.

“It’s great to have their support, and it’s great for them to know what we do,” firefighter Ryan Pontzloff said. “They’ve been here multiple times within the past year, having conversations about funding and what more the government can do at the state and federal level.”

Along with his Undercliff membership, Pontzloff owns Px3 Landscaping LLC and is a Lowe’s associate at Pigott’s store.

In the latter capacity, he was the driving force in Undercliff applying for a Lowe’s Hometowns grant. The company received $160,000 through the program, which selects 100 large-scale community projects annually, to be completed in partnership with local nonprofits.

“It’s great for us because often, we’re forced to spend our fundraising dollars and grants on life-saving apparatus and equipment,” Pontzloff said. “We don’t often have time or money to invest in capital improvement projects at the physical building. That’s kind of an afterthought when you’re out there saving lives.”

Conditions of the grant stipulate that the project must be completed by Nov. 15, according to Pontzloff, and Undercliff will welcome guests for resumption of a popular social activity at some point afterward.

“The people who have not been here since we shut bingo down, when they come back when we reopen, they won’t believe it’s the same building,” he said.

As for the new pumper, a committee of firefighters developed specifications for Seagrave to follow.

“We wanted to build, when we set out to this, a firefighter-friendly, easy-to-work-with piece,” CJ Gerardi, Undercliff’s assistant chief, said. “You get down into the nitty gritty of it as far as, where do you want switches to be? Where do you want the hose lays to be, and how high do you want them to be? Everything is kind of low height, so you can get to everything easily.”

Quality was another primary consideration.

“When we talked about getting a new engine, we looked at a bunch of manufacturers. What drew us to Seagrave is their build quality: stainless steel, won’t rust. They last,” Gerardi explained. “Everyone you see running one, they keep it for a long time.”

An additional Undercliff benefactor is Planet Fitness, which donated equipment for the station’s gym. Combined with other amenities, the hope is that firefighters will spend plenty of time at the building.

“The more people we have here,” Gerardi said, “the faster response we can get.”

For more information about Undercliff Volunteer Fire Company, visit https://undercliffvfc.org/.