Avalon Fire Company Celebrates Renovated Facility, 110th Anniversary
The original Peermont Fire House in 1915. It’s now the site of the Avalon Municipal Building.
A day full of fun activities has always been the signature of Snowfest Saturday in Avalon. And this year, the Avalon Volunteer Fire Company will add even more to that tradition with the dedication of its newly renovated firehouse and a celebration marking the company’s 110th anniversary.
Be sure to mark your calendar to be at the firehouse Saturday morning, Nov. 25. It’s an opportunity to tour the firehouse and see the newly renovated Station 11 facility up close. The culmination of a $6 million, 24-month project bringing a state-of-the-art emergency response facility to Avalon.
Festivities are scheduled to kick off at 10am with a ribbon cutting scheduled with local dignitaries including U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, Avalon Mayor John McCorristin, Avalon Fire Chief Ed Dean, and Avalon Borough Council president Jamie McDermott.
The Avalon Volunteer Fire Company has lots of surprises planned for those in attendance, including commemorative unique challenge coins to the first 250 children, T-shirts and collectible mugs. If you aren’t already familiar with challenge coins, they are collectible coins bearing the insignia or emblem of a service organization, military branch, or local police or fire department. The coins are collected and/or traded, and have become a highly sought collectible.
The Avalon Police Department will also be part of the fun. Officers will be on hand serving up free hot dogs and snacks to all in attendance. The Avalon Police are also expected to unveil a new vehicle over the weekend. What a great opportunity for kids to get an up-close look at Avalon’s firefighting and emergency apparatus while interacting with the town’s fire and police professionals.
Held at the firehouse, 3200 Dune Drive, this is a rain-or-shine event. For that matter, since this is Snowfest Saturday, it’s also a snow-or-shine event. So, plan to be on hand.
The fire company will be proudly showing off its renovated, first-rate facility that includes increased flood compliance space for firefighting apparatus, ADA compliance, new bunk facilities for overnight firefighting crews, integrated training space, decontamination facilities, and expanded garage space. The original facility was never designed to house firefighters overnight or contain the additional rescue equipment now necessary for the increased water rescues that the department handles.
“The new facility will provide numerous operational advantages to the department,” says Fire Chief Ed Dean. “Operational advantages for the department lead to an even greater level of safety for visitors and residents. This is an exciting time for the Avalon Fire Department.”
The department will also use the occasion to mark its 110th anniversary. The new fire facility stands on the site of the original building lot that the Avalon Improvement Company conveyed to the Peermont Volunteer Fire Company #1 of Avalon for $1 in November 1913. This was the forerunner of today’s Avalon Volunteer Fire Company that has now been providing continuous protection to the borough for 110 years. The original foundation was poured in April 1914.