LOGAN TOWNSHIP UNITED FIRE DEPARTMENT

THE DEPARTMENT SERVES A PRIMARY DISPATCH AREA OF APPROX 18 SQUARE MILES AND A RESIDENTIAL POPULATION OF APPROX 3800 PEOPLE, HOUSED IN APPROX 1300 HOMES. THIS POPULATION INCREASES WITH THE SCHOOL YEAR AS WE ARE THE PRIMARY RESPONSE DEPARTMENT FOR A PORTION OF THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY ALTOONA CAMPUS AND THE NUMEROUS PRIVATELY OWNED STUDENT HOUSING COMPLEXES IN THE AREA. THE LTUFD IS ONE OF FIVE VOLUNTEER DEPARTMENTS THAT PROTECT LOGAN TOWNSHIP, BLAIR COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. THE FIVE DEPARTMENTS SERVE DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHICAL FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS OF LOGAN TOWNSHIP, BUT WORK TOGETHER ON MOST CALLS BY INTERDEPARTMENTAL AUTOMATIC AID. LOGAN TOWNSHIP ENCOMPASSES 55 SQUARE MILES AND SOME 15,000 RESIDENTS. THE TOWNSHIP DEPARTMENTS TRAIN TOGETHER REGULARLY AND WORK UNDER A COMMON GOVERNING BOARD MADE UP OF THE CHIEF OF EACH DEPARTMENT, A TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR, AND AN ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR. THIS BOARD SERVES TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT COMMON GOALS AND STANDARD OPERATING PRACTICES AS WELL AS JOINT PURCHASING AND STANDARDIZATION OF EQUIPMENT. THE MAKEUP OF THE LAND USE VARIES GREATLY IN LOGAN TOWNSHIP. AS MENTIONED, THE TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENTS SERVE PARTS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, WE HAVE AN EXTENSIVE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT WITH MANY STRIP AND ENCLOSED MALLS. LOGAN TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SEVERAL MILES OF INTERSTATE 99 AND NUMEROUS OTHER STATE HIGHWAYS. WE ALSO SERVE PARTS OF THE NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD MAINLINE AND THE NORFOLK SOUTHERN JUNIATA HEAVY REPAIR SHOPS. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF RESIDENTIAL AREA, BOTH SPARSELY POPULATED AND IN HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS. WE HAVE SEVERAL ELEMENTARY AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN THE TOWNSHIP AS WELL AS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE STATE WITH SEVEN WATER RESERVOIRS, FOUR WATER TREATMENT PLANTS AND A SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT WHICH SERVE BOTH THE CITY OF ALTOONA AND LOGAN TOWNSHIP, ALONG WITH CRITICAL 911 COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE. THERE ARE ALSO MANY SQUARE MILES OF WILDERNESS LAND WHICH WE PROVIDE WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING SERVICES TO IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY.