Indiana Fire Association, 501 Philadelphia Street, Indiana, PA (2026)

09/11/2026

**IFA CALL UPDATE — SEPTEMBER 8th–10th** 🚨

And with this one, **we are officially caught up!** 🎉

After working our way through the backlog, here’s what the last few days have looked like around the IFA.

# # # 🔥 September 8th

**12:47 PM — Residential Fire Alarm**

Because apparently fire alarms have decided they are going to be a recurring theme lately.

100 Assistant 1 responded along with Indiana Borough Police and Engine 102. Crews arrived to find the culprit — a bad detector.

No fire. No emergency. Just another smoke detector having a little attention-seeking episode.

All units cleared, marking **Incident #587 for the year.**

**8:23 PM — Carbon Monoxide Alarm at Starbucks**

Later that evening, crews were dispatched for a carbon monoxide alarm at Starbucks. 100 Assistant 3, Bob Henry, responded as OIC.

Crews found the pictured CO detector and, as you can see, it had definitely been around for a while.

The manufacturing date on the detector works out to the **288th day of 2014**, making the unit approximately **12 years old**. CO alarms are generally recommended to be replaced every **7 years**, so this one had officially earned its retirement.

Maintenance was contacted and a new alarm will be installed.

The good news — crews found **no CO present**.

And just a quick fire department public-service announcement: **CO and CO₂ are NOT the same thing.**

We occasionally deal with CO₂ concerns at commercial businesses, especially restaurants and other locations using carbonated beverages. CO₂ can displace oxygen and create a hazardous environment.

But in this case, dispatch was dealing with **CO — carbon monoxide**.

It sounds like a small distinction, but when we're responding to an alarm, we want to make sure we're talking about the right gas. Callers understandably mix up CO and CO₂ all the time, so sometimes we have to clarify it with dispatch.

# # # 🔥 September 9th

**OIC Page — The Necklace Incident**

Yesterday brought us one of those calls that you probably don't see in the fire service brochure.

A caller reported that she had dropped a necklace behind her desk. When she reached behind the desk, she heard a **large pop**, and the electrical outlet immediately turned black.

100 Assistant 1, Ron Moreau, responded and met with the caller and building management.

Building management was going to address the damaged outlet, and the caller was going to make sure the plugs were firmly seated next time.

No fire was needed, and Assistant 1 canceled the remaining units.

We're not saying the necklace started a fire...

We're just saying it apparently had **electrical ambitions.** 😂

# # # 🔥 September 10th

** 8:38 AM. Crews along with Indiana Borough Police were dispatched for a fire alarm in the 900 block of Philadelphia Street. 100 Chief arrived and confirmed it was burnt toast. All fire units were cancelled. The toast, well lets just say it was not an Instagram worthy picture.

**12:10 PM — Reoccurring Business Alarm**

The first call of the day was another recurring alarm at a business off Geesey Road.

While responding, 100 Chief was advised that the property had entered the proper passcode and confirmed the alarm was false.

All units were canceled.

At this point, we're beginning to suspect some of these alarms just want to make sure we're still paying attention.

**3:00 PM — Urban Outfitters**

And finally, our last call in this stretch brought us to Urban Outfitters off Windy Ridge Road.

100 Assistant 1, Ron Moreau, responded as OIC.

While responding, he received information that **multiple alarms** were activating — including the commercial fire alarm, an electrical alarm, and multiple burglar alarms.

That's quite an impressive way to tell the fire department that something is going on.

Contact was made with the premises, who advised it was a false alarm and there was no need for the fire department.

Assistant 1 arrived, met with maintenance, and confirmed there was an internal issue with the system and no emergency.

All units were canceled.

That call brought us to **Incident #593 for the year.**

---

And **THAT** finally gets us caught up on the call updates. 🙌

From fire alarms that don't want to behave, to a 12-year-old CO detector that had definitely seen better days, to a necklace causing an electrical investigation, and enough alarms going off at Urban Outfitters to make it sound like the building was having a nervous breakdown...

It's been a busy stretch.

Thankfully, there were **no fires, no injuries, and no major emergencies** in these calls.

But that's the job.

Whether it's a working fire, a carbon monoxide investigation, a bad alarm, or a necklace trying to start an electrical incident — **we're here, we're ready, and we'll keep showing up.** 🚒🔥

Now that we're caught up...

**Let's hope the next update takes a little longer to write.** 😂

09/11/2026

🚨 **IFA Call & Community Update — September 6th & 7th** 🚨

**September 6th — A Day Off?!**

For once, the radio stayed quiet.

No calls.
No alarms.
No fires.
No cats stuck in soffits.
No mystery smells.

Just a nice, quiet day where everyone got to pretend they weren't firefighters for about 24 hours. We’ll take it. 😂

**September 7th — Apparently We Had Enjoyed Ourselves Enough**

The radio decided it was time to get back to work, on Labor Day.

⏰ **1:46 AM — Fire Alarm**

Our crews were alerted to a fire alarm in a multi-apartment/commercial building. IFA Chief Lee Thompson responded as the OIC and found a smoke detector sounding inside a residence with no smoke or other problems present.

The detector apparently had decided it was having a bad day.

Chief removed the offending alarm from the ceiling, silenced it, and cleared the call before 2:00 AM - all without having to activate the entire station.

Sometimes the best fire alarm response is simply evicting the fire alarm. 😂

🐈 **12:08 PM — Cat Rescue**

An OIC page came in for a cat that had somehow managed to get underneath the gutter and into the soffit area of a roof.

The cat was perfectly capable of running around up there, but apparently jumping back down was completely unacceptable.

Crews quickly put up a ladder and rescued our four-legged customer.

**Cat: 0
Fire Department: 1**

We're pretty sure the cat still believes it could have handled the situation itself.

👃 **5:20 PM — Rotten Egg Odor Investigation**

Residents of a home just off the IUP campus on Rice Avenue contacted us after reporting a strong rotten egg smell inside the residence. They said the odor had been occurring for several weeks.

100 Assistant 2 responded and checked the residence, but there was no odor detectable at the time of the response and nothing unusual was found.

The residents were advised to contact us the next time they noticed the odor rather than letting it sit on the "we'll deal with it eventually" list.

This one apparently decided to disappear as soon as the fire department showed up. Typical.

Incident #585 for the year if you are counting.

🌊 **6:18 PM — The Great Mac Park Water Mystery**

While at the Indiana County Fair, a passerby behind the grandstand noticed a massive amount of water running through the drains and thought something might be wrong.

100 Assistant 2 contacted Mack Park Park maintenance to investigate.

Turns out, there was no emergency — the Mack Park pool had been shut down for the winter and was being drained.

So, after all that, it was just a whole lot of pool water going exactly where it was supposed to go.

🚒 **And there you have it...**

Two days featuring a quiet Sunday, a malfunctioning smoke detector, a cat who needed a ladder, a disappearing rotten-egg smell, and an entire swimming pool making its way into the drainage system.

No major fires. No disasters. Just another couple days of being available for whatever Indiana County decides to throw at us.

We'll keep answering the calls — even when the biggest emergency of the day is apparently a cat refusing to use the stairs. 😂

**Thank you to everyone who continues to support the Indiana Fire Association!** 🚒🔥

09/10/2026

🚨 **IFA Call & Community Update — September 5th**

September 5th brought a **busy day** for the IFA, with the Indiana County Fair demolition derby taking center stage — and, of course, a few calls deciding to join the party.

🏁 **Indiana County Fair Demolition Derby**

The big event for the day was the **Indiana County Fair Demolition Derby**.

IFA responded along with **260 Creekside Volunteer Fire Department** and **180 Homer City Volunteer Fire Department** to provide standby coverage for the event. Our job was to make sure the derby could go on without anyone having to worry about fire or other emergencies that might come with watching a bunch of cars intentionally try to destroy each other. 😂

It's always a great time for our members. We get to support the fair, hang out with our mutual-aid partners, and watch cars run into each other — all while technically calling it **work**. We’ll take it. 🚒🏁

🔥 **12:00 PM — Hilton Garden Inn Fire Alarm**

Just before the derby was scheduled to start, IFA was dispatched to a fire alarm at the **Hilton Garden Inn**, located right next to the fairgrounds.

A truck from Central Station responded, along with **262 from Creekside**, which was already at the fairgrounds for the derby standby. **180 Assistant 2** also responded.

Crews arrived and were advised that the alarm was believed to be a false alarm. The building was checked by crews, and **nothing was found**.

Once everything was confirmed to be okay, crews were able to return to the fairgrounds and get back to the important business of watching the demolition derby. 🏁

📟 **5:26 PM — Residential Fire Alarm**

Later that afternoon, IFA crews were dispatched to another residential fire alarm.

While crews were responding, the homeowner contacted 911 and advised that the alarm was the result of a **culinary mishap**.

**100 Assistant 3, Bob Henry**, was responding when that information came across the radio and was able to cancel the remaining response.

We're not sure what was cooking, but apparently it was cooking **hard enough to call the fire department.** 😂

🔥 **8:20 PM — Shed Fire**

At approximately **8:20 PM**, crews were dispatched to a reported shed fire. The original report described a **6' x 8' shed**and was reported by Indiana Borough Police to be fully involved.

**Engine 102** responded from Central Station, while **Engine 108**, which was still on standby at the fair, was pulled from the fairgrounds to respond.

Crews arrived to find a well-advanced shed fire and quickly went to work. The fire was knocked down and extinguished without further incident.

📟 **9:52 PM — CO Alarm**

And just when it looked like the day might finally be over, at approximately **9:52 PM**, crews were dispatched for a reported carbon monoxide alarm in an apartment.

Crews investigated the residence and found **no carbon monoxide present**. The homeowner planned to replace the alarm.

And that wrapped up a pretty eventful September 5th.

A demolition derby, a few alarms, a kitchen apparently getting a little too ambitious, a shed fire, and a CO alarm — **just another Saturday for the IFA.** 🚒😂

Big thanks to **Creekside and Homer City** for working alongside us throughout the fair and demolition derby. We appreciate our mutual-aid partners and the opportunity to help keep these community events safe.

Now… back to catching up on the backlog. **We're getting there. Eventually.** 😂

09/10/2026

🚨 **IFA Call & Community Update — August 31st through September 5th**

Continuing our journey through the backlog of IFA activity… and this week was a little heavier on **fire alarms and community events** than actual fires. We’re perfectly okay with that. 😂

📟 **August 31 — 1:24 AM**
IFA was dispatched to a fire alarm in the **00 block of North 7th Street**. **Assistant One responded** and was able to gain access to the building through the Knox Box. Crews checked the building and found **no problems or issues**.

All units cleared without incident.

📟 **September 2 — 5:51 PM**
IFA, along with **Station 190 Marion Center**, was dispatched to a residential fire alarm off **Kimmel Road**.

Crews arrived and met with the keyholder, who was en route to the property. A walk-through determined the alarm was being caused by an **HVAC leak**.

With no fire or emergency found, all units cleared.

📟 **September 3 — 11:12 AM**
Apparently, the HVAC system wasn't finished making introductions.

IFA was dispatched back to the same residence off Kimmel Road for another fire alarm. Crews again met with the homeowner and determined it was the **same issue as the previous day**.

The property was placed on a temporary order that any future alarms would be **OIC (Officer in Charge) contact only** until the issue can be corrected.

All units cleared without incident.

📟 **September 3 — 9:39 PM**
Later that evening, crews were sent to **308 Medlar Drive in White Township** for another fire alarm.

An alarm could be heard coming from a vacant apartment and reportedly had been sounding for approximately **six hours**. Crews were met by maintenance personnel and made entry to investigate.

Thankfully, nothing was found other than a **faulty alarm**.

All crews cleared without incident.

👨‍🚒 **September 3 — Monthly Meeting**

Thursday wasn't all alarms and HVAC issues. The IFA also held its **monthly meeting**, and we're happy to announce that we **welcomed three new members into the Association!**

We're always excited to see new people willing to step up, volunteer their time, train, and become part of the IFA family. Please help us welcome our newest members! Welcome Andrew Needham, Jr Member Gavin Stitt, and Madison Williams.🚒

🏈 **Honor Heroes Game — September 4**

Friday evening, IFA crews were invited to participate in the **Indiana Area High School Honor Heroes football game**. Ladder 106 was sent along with our large American flag as part of the evening's tribute to our heroes.

It was a great evening, and our members were proud to be there and take part in such a great event.

We were also lucky enough to watch a little **history being made on the field**. During the game, **Charles Spell broke the Indiana single-game rushing record and then went on to tie the single-game touchdown record.**

That's one heck of a night. Congratulations to **Charles Spell and the Indiana Indians** on an incredible performance! 🏈👏

🇺🇸 **Indiana County Fair — August 31 through September 5**

Throughout the week, IFA members were also out at the **Indiana County Fair**, showing our support for the fair and remaining on standby should our services have been needed.

Thankfully, the call volume at the fair consisted of exactly what we like to see — **nothing that required us.**

We were happy to be there, support the community, and enjoy the fair along with everyone else.

And that's another week checked off the backlog. **We're getting there… eventually.** 😂🚒

09/10/2026

🚒 **Shed Fire — September 6th**

A few photos from Saturday evening’s shed fire.

Crews arrived to find the approximately 8x10 shed well involved. Engine 102 and Engine 108 made quick work of the fire and had it under control in short order.

Thankfully, no injuries were reported.

Just another Saturday night for the IFA — because apparently we weren't ready to call it a day after the demolition derby. 🔥🚒

📸 **A few shots from the scene below.**

09/10/2026

**IFA Call Update — 8/30/26**

Apparently, August 30th wasn’t just about power lines. About 48 minutes after Assistant One finished dealing with the electrical problem on Warren Road, he was back at it — this time answering the call for **two birds stuck in a drain.** 🐦🐦

At approximately **7:17 PM**, First Assistant Chief **Ron Moreau** was dispatched for the feathered emergency.

Assistant One arrived and found a robin and a baby bird that had managed to get themselves into a situation they couldn't fly their way out of.

Ron was able to successfully rescue **both birds** from the drain and return them to solid ground.

No other fire department assistance was needed, and all units cleared the scene.

🦅 **IFA Bird Rescue Division:** Apparently accepting calls 24/7.

Two rescues. Zero birds left behind.
**Another successful mission for the IFA.** 🚒🐦

Chief Moreau forgot to get a picture so this is not the actual bird but looked very similar.

09/10/2026

🚨 **IFA Call Update — 8/30/26**

We’re a little behind on the call updates… okay, maybe **a lot** behind. So we’re going to start working our way through them and get everyone caught up on what the Indiana Fire Association has been up to. This is **Post #1 of several**, so stay tuned. 😂

At **6:29 PM on August 30th**, First Assistant Chief **Ron Moreau** was dispatched to Warren Road for a report of low-hanging wires.

Assistant One arrived to find the power was out throughout the area and quickly determined this was more than just a couple of wires hanging a little lower than they should. It appeared that a **transmission line had burned and separated**, resulting in a large power outage in the area.

**Penelec** was contacted and crews responded to make the necessary repairs.

Thankfully, this one was a fairly straightforward response for the fire department — but definitely a good reminder that **downed or damaged power lines are nothing to mess around with.**

And with that, we're officially starting our journey through the backlog. **More call updates coming soon… because apparently we have some catching up to do.** 🚒🔥

09/10/2026

🎉🚒 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JU JU! 🚒🎉

Apparently, it’s Assistant Chief Engineer, Mike “Ju Ju” Juart’s birthday today, so we figured we should probably acknowledge it before he starts complaining that nobody remembered. 😂

Today we celebrate Company 2 Firefighter Mike Juart, who has been part of the Indiana Fire Association since March of 2010.

Mike is a legacy member, following in the footsteps of his father. Apparently, joining the fire department is one of those family traditions where nobody actually asks you if you want to participate. They just hand you a helmet and say, “Congratulations” 😂

Mike is also a United States Navy Veteran, and we are extremely grateful for his service to our country. 🇺🇸⚓

After spending a couple years away from the Association, Mike eventually returned to us.

We assume he realized that normal people don’t get woken up at 2:17 AM to climb into a truck, drive somewhere in the dark, and start solving someone else’s problem. And apparently, he missed it. 😂

Since returning, Mike has been very active with the Association. He responds to calls, attends training, serves on committees, and continues to find plenty of ways to make himself useful.

Mike is also a Master Ford Mechanic, which means he knows considerably more about vehicles than the rest of us.

It also means that whenever something breaks on a fire truck, everyone suddenly knows exactly who they should call.

“Hey Mike… since you’re already here…” 🔧😂

His mechanical knowledge made him a great Rescue Captain and Lieutenant, and he continues to be one of our go-to guys when it comes to anything mechanical.

Mike is a National Pro Board Certified Firefighter 1, EMT, and an Engineer on all of the Association’s fleet.

And if you ever need to find Mike at the firehouse, just look for the guy standing around a truck with the hood open, tools nearby, and approximately 14 people asking him questions. 😂

But seriously…

The Indiana Fire Association is a better organization because Mike is here. His experience, knowledge, dedication, willingness to respond, and commitment to the Association make him a valuable part of the IFA family.

We are especially thankful for his service to our country, his service to our community, and his continued service to the Indiana Fire Association. 🇺🇸

So everyone please join us in wishing Mike “Ju Ju” Juart a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 🎂🎉🎁🎈

Have a great birthday, Ju Ju!

And don’t worry…

We won’t ask you to fix anything today.

Unless something breaks.

Then we’ll probably call you. 😂🔧🚒

🇺🇸⚓👨🏻‍🚒🚒🚨🔥🔧🔩

09/09/2026

🎂🚒 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO FIRE CHIEF LEE THOMPSON! 🚒🎂

Today we celebrate another trip around the sun for the man, the myth, the legend... Fire Chief Lee Thompson.

Lee has been serving the Indiana Fire Association and this community for more than 25 years. In that time, he has held just about every position imaginable and apparently decided the best way to make sure things were done right was to eventually just become Chief.

For those who don't know Lee, he is easy to spot around the firehouse. Just look down. 😆

Standing somewhere south of the average firefighter height and carrying just enough extra insulation to make winter operations more comfortable, Lee may not be the biggest firefighter on the scene... but he has certainly built one of the biggest resumes.

Lee is a Firefighter 2, Paramedic, 911 Dispatcher, Fire Suppression Instructor, Rescue Technician, and holds more certifications than most of us have room for on our refrigerator.

Over the years, Lee has served as Lieutenant, Assistant Chief, Rescue Captain, Vice President, Fire Chief, and just about everything else except apparently someone willing to reach the top shelf without assistance.

Despite all the jokes, there is no questioning what Lee brings to this Association. He represents decades of service, dedication, training, discipline, and an old-school work ethic that is becoming harder and harder to find.

Lee doesn't just tell people how things should be done. He is still out there answering hundreds of calls, training, working beside younger members, and leading by example.

The Indiana Fire Association is fortunate to have members like Lee who have dedicated such a large portion of their lives to serving others. His commitment to this department and this community over the past quarter-century deserves far more recognition than a Facebook post.

So today, please join us in wishing our vertically challenged, slightly horizontally enhanced, highly decorated Fire Chief a very Happy Birthday! 🎉🎂🚒

Happy Birthday, Chief! We appreciate everything you do for this Association and community.

Now someone get him a step stool so he can blow out the candles. 😂

09/01/2026

🔥🚒 **SUNDAY MORNING PLANS: COFFEE, DONUTS, AND CUTTING HOLES IN A BUILDING.**

At 8:00 AM Sunday morning, while most normal people were still sleeping, drinking coffee, or trying to remember what they did Saturday night, firefighters from the **Indiana Fire Association, Creekside Volunteer Fire Company, and Homer City Volunteer Fire Company** were standing outside a building thinking:

**“How much of this can we cut open before they knock it down?”** 😂

Luckily for us, the answer was apparently **quite a bit.**

The building, located just behind the new diner on Philadelphia Street near our Central Station, was offered to us by **Earl Hewitt** before it is eventually demolished.

It wasn't the biggest building we've ever trained in, but it was absolutely packed with opportunities to work on skills that we don't get to practice nearly often enough.

And firefighters LOVE demolition buildings.

Give us a building that's already scheduled to come down and suddenly everyone becomes an architect, contractor, demolition expert, and structural engineer. 🤣

Crews from all three departments worked together on:

🪜 Ladder placement and operations
🪟 Searching through windows
🚒 Victim removal from ladders
🏃 Rapid evacuation onto a ladder
👨‍🚒 RIT operations
🔥 Structural fire rescue techniques
🚪 Forcible entry
🪓 Door forcing
🪟 **Turning windows into doors**

The window-to-door operation was particularly valuable.

Sometimes a victim is simply too large to safely lift over a window sill. Firefighters can remove the cripple section of wall underneath the window, creating a larger, door-sized opening with no sill to fight while removing the patient.

It's a technique commonly used in wood-frame construction, but crews also got the opportunity to learn that it can be accomplished relatively quickly in **masonry construction** as well.

Basically:

**“That window is too small.”**

**“Okay. Make it a door.”**

Firefighters: *Problem solved.* 😂

We also spent some time on **vertical ventilation** on the flat roof.

And because apparently one layer of roofing wasn't enough, crews worked through **THREE layers of roofing** to practice cutting ventilation openings.

Nothing says “good Sunday morning” quite like standing on a roof with a saw while everyone else is wondering why you're destroying the roof you're standing on. 😂

This kind of training is extremely valuable. It gives our members the opportunity to practice techniques, work with neighboring departments, and figure out what works — and what doesn't — in a controlled environment.

**Before we have to do it at 2:00 AM. In the rain. In January. With everyone yelling.**

We've been fortunate to have some fantastic demolition training opportunities over the years, including the old **Keith Hall at IUP**, where we were able to bring together **seven county fire departments** for a large-scale training event.

These buildings are training gold.

We're also excited to see the development taking place at the southwest corner of Philadelphia Street and 5th Street. Earl has already given the community a gem with **Danny's Taco**, and the new diner is looking amazing. We're excited to see what comes next for the area.

Most importantly, **THANK YOU** to every volunteer from all three departments who gave up part of their Sunday morning to come train.

You could have been sleeping.

You could have been watching TV.

You could have been doing literally anything else.

Instead, you chose to climb ladders, crawl through windows, practice RIT, force doors, cut roofs, and occasionally make a perfectly good building slightly less structurally enthusiastic. 😂

That's what being a volunteer firefighter is about.

And a HUGE **THANK YOU to Earl Hewitt** for thinking of us and giving us this opportunity. We truly appreciate it.

# # # 🏚️ GOT A BUILDING COMING DOWN?

**CALL US.**

Seriously.

If you have a building scheduled for demolition, we'd love the opportunity to use it for training.

And before anyone gets nervous — **we can train without causing significant damage**, depending on what the training objectives are.

Although if you tell us:

**“Do whatever you need.”**

…we may need to have a small department-wide meeting about what exactly *“whatever”* means. 😂

🚒 **You destroy it once. We'd rather learn from it first.**

Indiana Fire Association

09/11/2026

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