Members of the West Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company are gearing up for the annual Fireman’s Festival.
A revived tradition, the festival will be returning for its fourth year, said Morgan Swank, a member of the department’s fundraising committee.
“It continues to grow every year, and everyone couldn’t be happier,” Swank said.
Swank said there will be a variety of activities, including a petting zoo, bounce house, car show, silent auction, a 50/50 raffle and a variety of vendors. Not only does the festival help raise funds for the fire company, it doubles as a form of community outreach.
“This is a free event to enter in hopes to get our community and surrounding communities together to enjoy a day out,” Swank said. “We hope we get as many people as we can out to support the vendors coming and the West Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company.”
Swank said the businesses and community members the festival draws are crucial to the department’s survival.
“Without the communities and local businesses supporting local fire departments, they wouldn’t have the funds to run, especially with the cost rising to keep the men and women safe while they are responding to emergencies,” Swank said. “It takes a lot to stay up to date and maintain everything that happens within a fire department.”
A 2023 hearing by the state House Republican Caucus showed volunteer fire department budgets can top $2 million a year. Most of that money, though, is earmarked for things such as mortgages on fire stations, payments on trucks and other vehicles, and insurance premiums.
That leaves only a small percentage left for actually running a department. The cost to equip one firefighter, the caucus reported, was $28,000. Swank said volunteers respond to fires, vehicle accidents and floods within the borough and in surrounding communities.
The festival is scheduled for July 26 from 2 to 7 p.m. at the West Leechburg Fire Hall on Gosser Street. Organizers are still accepting vendor applications and can be reached at firechief@westleechburg.us. To participate in the car cruise, email westleechburgvfd@gmail.com.
