Richmond Station Holds Open House

On July 27 at 6 p.m., the new Manheim Township Fire Rescue (MTFR) station in Richmond Square held an open house. Highlights of the event included tours of the facility, an appearance by Sparky the Fire Dog, free ice cream, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring guest speakers.

Chief Scott Little had a special reason to celebrate. Data since the station opened in January has shown improvement toward reaching goals set for the fire department. "We ran some data numbers for a few months, and we have cut response times to the northwest section by 40%," reported Little. "We are happy with that."

Little noted that when area residents think about big-scale fire departments, they imagine metropolises like New York City. "We do the same kind of work in a different environment," pointed out Little, who added that with nearly 45,000 residents, Manheim Township is the third-largest first-class township in the commonwealth behind Upper Darby and Lower Merion. That kind of scope requires careful consideration with regard to fire protection, and the placement of the Richmond station with three firefighters on call at all times is tied to Manheim Township's Insurance Services Office (ISO) number, which Little noted dictates what homeowners and commercial buildings pay for insurance premiums. "Right now, we are in the top 5% of the country," said Little, who added that more than 48,000 companies are graded on fire rescue. "It's something for us to be proud of."

The chief is as pleased with the way the new station fits into the Richmond Square neighborhood as he is with the ratings the fire service has garnered. Station 202 is located at 600 Richmond Drive, Lancaster, in a former bank building owned by and leased from Oak Tree, which owns the adjacent commercial buildings. "The safer your community, the better the community is for people to live and work and raise families here," said Little, who noted that a number of positives were considered in the placement of the station. "This station has a community feel," he said, pointing out the number of area residents who walk their dogs by the station daily. MTFR personnel have responded to their canine neighbors by stocking dog treats and putting out bowls of water. "Being there for our community and having conversation is important," said Little.

Manheim Township commissioners John Bear and Barry Kauffman both attended the open house, and township manager Rick Kane cut the ribbon to open the new station. Kane was fire chief in 2021 when the Manheim Township Board of Commissioners approved the station.

More information about MTFR may be found at https://mtfr.net.