On Saturday the 28th of April, the Alpha Fire Company of State College held an open house and dedication of their new station at 2598 Green Tech Drive, in Patton Township.  The open house ran from 10:00 a.m. till 4:00 p.m. with dedication services starting at 1:00 p.m.  The open house drew about 300 local residents, dignitaries and fellow emergency service personnel.

The Alpha Fire Company has been serving the Borough of State College, Ferguson, College and Patton Townships and the University Park Campuses of Penn State for more than 100 years.  Collectively, these municipalities are part of a regional government cooperative, the Centre Region Council of Governments {COG.}  During this time, the fire company has responded from it's centrally located station in downtown State College.  The fire company's original station was located along the 100 block of South Fraser Street.  In the early 1970s the Borough of State College built the Alpha Fire Company a new station at the corner of South Atherton Street and West Beaver Avenue.

In the late 1980s, COG hired the TriData Corporation to conduct a study of fire protection in the centre region.  TriData's recommendations included hiring both a fire codes inspector, a fire commissioner, renovating the central fire station to include a bunk room, establishing job descriptions for all essential fire company positions, and as the centre region grew, the opening of satellite fire stations in the other municipalities.  Over the past ten years, The Alpha Fire Company and COG have been implementing the recommendations of that study.

In 1998, Penn Dot started a major street renovation and resurfacing project on North Atherton Street leading into Patton Township from State College.  The Alpha Fire Company expected this road work to cause delays in the fire company's  response to Patton Township.  Because of this delay, the fire company placed an engine in the garage of the old Patton Township building at the north end of North Atherton Street.

The fire company and Patton Township took this as a starting point to look at building the fire company's first satellite fire station.  The Alpha Fire Company formed the Patton Township Building Committee, with representatives from COG, Patton Township, Architect Frederick J. Fernsler,  AIA, and chaired by Alpha firefighter Lester Griel.  They designed an 8300 square foot state of the art building that will help provide fire protection for the almost 100,000 local residents and Penn State students.

In mid 2000, ground was broken between the old Patton Township Building and Green Teck Drive.  The new 1.4 million dollar station faces Green Teck Drive and provides access to the new Interstate 99, North Atherton Street and Valley Vista Drive.

The main feature of the new station is a 2500 square foot drive through, apparatus bay. An automatically disconcerting Plymovent exhaust system was installed to handle up to four apparatus.  The apparatus bay is also protected by a carbon monoxide alarm.  The CO alarm turns on the exhaust vent and opens all four bay doors to clear the gas.  The entire station, including the roof structure, is protected by a quick response sprinkler system.

Other features of the new station include a watch room and an office, a computer/study room, kitchen and lounge.  There is also a dorm room for up to eight firefighters and four rooms for live in firefighters.  The live in program is a new program for the Alpha Fire Company and is not up an running yet but the tentative plans are for up to four live in firefighters to help cover the Patton Station during the daytime hours.

To celebrate the opening of the new station, The Alpha Fire Company held an open house and station dedication on Saturday the 28th of April.  The public and local dignitaries started filtering into the new station at 10:00 a.m.  Besides touring the station, a number of other emergency service organizations had demonstrations set up to help educate the public.

At 1:00 p.m., building committee chair, Lester Griel welcomed the public and fellow firefighters to the Patton Station Dedication.  He then directed firefighter Ron Ross, firefighter Don Watkins, and fire police Captain Bill Lower to raise the Alpha Fire Company's ceremonial company flag.  These three firefighters represent about 150 years of dedicated service with the Alpha Fire Company.  Both Ross and Lower have served terms as Chief of the fire company.

Leonard Alwine, Chaplain for the Central District Volunteer Fireman's Association then offered a Benediction and reading from Exodus 17, 8-13.  Mercer Bristow, Vice Chair of the Patton Township Board of Supervisors was next to speak.  Mr. Bristow took this opportunity to point out that this was the only development in Patton Township that he could remember which didn't embroil itself in controversy.  He asked, "Where did we go wrong?"

Carmine Prestia, President of the Alpha Fire Company spoke about local government working to help the fire company provide the service people need.  With the recent unrest in State College being attributed to unruly Penn State students, President Prestia took this opportunity to point out that it is only a minority of students causing the problems.  Any night you could stop by the main station and find student firefighters giving back to the community.  The Alpha Fire Company has about 20 active firefighters that are also Penn State students.

Last to speak was Chief Scott Fry. He too thanked Patton Township and all of the people that helped make the Patton Station possible.  He also spoke about the two new apparatus that are being ordered for the new station.  Currently, Engine 510, a 1980's vintage Pierce/White, is located at the Patton Station.  It is going to be replaced with a new rescue engine and a tanker that recently went out for bids.  Rescue Engine 514 and Tanker 520.

A wet down of Engine 510 and the new Rescue 518 concluded the dedication serves.  After wetting down each of the apparatus, the fire company's line officers "pushed in" the rigs.