Our Story
Union Fire Association of Lower Merion | Established 1903
"In times of trouble there is someone you can call, even if you are all alone… and that when we come, you are no longer a stranger. You are no longer alone. Your problem is no longer just your problem — it's our problem." — Chief (Ret.) Bobby Halton, Coppell Texas FD
A Promise Made to This Community - and Kept Every Day Since
At the turn of the twentieth century, the neighborhoods now known as Bala Cynwyd and Merion were booming. Families were leaving Philadelphia, drawn to the open air and quiet streets. They built homes. They planted roots. And they worried — because there was no fire protection anywhere nearby. The nearest help was in Ardmore, too far away to matter when a fire took hold. A handful of residents decided to fix that.
Early horse-drawn apparatus — the first generation of Union Fire Association equipment.
Where It Began — 1903
In the winter of 1903, a group of community leaders began meeting at the Union Republican Club in Academy to address the lack of local fire protection. They organized a fundraising canvass. People gave what they could — from a single dollar to two hundred. The campaign raised over $5,000.
On March 13, 1903, citizens from Academy, Bala Cynwyd, and Overbrook gathered and voted to form a volunteer fire company. By October 5, 1903, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania granted the official charter. The organization was formally incorporated as the Union Fire Association of Lower Merion.
149 Montgomery Avenue — Built to Last
By July of 1903 — months before the charter was official — the founders had already purchased hose reels, contracted for a chemical engine from Holloway of Baltimore, and secured property on Montgomery Avenue. A stone stable was torn down, its materials repurposed to build a two-story firehouse: engine room on the ground floor, public hall above with seating for 480. Total cost: $7,000. Built in months. The building at 149 Montgomery Avenue has served this community ever since
An early Union Fire Association engine departing the original Montgomery Avenue station
Our District
Station 28 Today
What those founders built has never stopped growing. Today, Station 28 protects roughly 3 square miles of Lower Merion Township, more than 4,000 structures in the Bala Cynwyd and Merion sections. We respond to approximately 500 calls per year: fire alarms, carbon monoxide incidents, gas leaks, vehicle accidents, EMS assists, and building fires. We are here 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Station 28 is home to Engine 28, Ladder 28, and Pipeline 28, staffed by dedicated volunteer firefighters, officers, 3 full-time and several part-time career firefighters, the men and women who answer every call.