Sharps Hill VFD
Menu
  • Link Icon Link Icon Link Icon Home
    • Link Icon Link Icon Link Icon Our History
      • Link Icon Link Icon Link Icon Our team
        • Link Icon Link Icon Link Icon Photos
          • Link Icon Link Icon Link Icon Contact Us
            • External link opens in new tab or window Link Icon Link Icon Link Icon Links
              • External link opens in new tab or window412.781.1226
              • External link opens in new tab or windowinfo@sharpshillvfd.org
              • External link opens in new tab or windowSharps Hill Fire Dept., 503 Berner Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15215
                External link opens in new tab or windowClick on this link to Listen

              Fire 1 Dispatch 471.5625

              Fire 3 Response 471.7625

                       Sharps Hill VFD

                     Station 263

                           



              • External link opens in new tab or windowMembers Area









              Have a Safe and Happy 2023
              92 years of service since August 22, 1930
              Monthly Meeting Tuesday  March 28,  7pm

              Shaler Twp Meeting  March 20 Cherry City, Station 260

              Upcoming 2023 training posted at the station

              Stay safe, wear a mask and wash your hands




              Column
              Column



              Proudly Serving our Community for over 87 Years


              The Sharps Hill Volunteer Fire Department is located in Shaler Township in the Northern Suburbs of Allegheny County Pennsylvania. We are an all volunteer department that offers Fire and Quick Response Emergency Medical Services to the residents of Sharps Hill and surrounding communities. Sharps Hill is one of six all volunteer fire departments in Shaler Township. Our primary response vehicle is Engine 1, a 1993 Pierce Dash 1250 GPM Pumper. One of the items you will notice is that our vehicles are not the traditional red color. The department changed to a blue and white color scheme with the arrival of Engine 1. One of the reasons for the color change was to follow the colors of the Township. There were, and still to this day, many people who believe that all fire vehicles need to be red. Upon arrival at the station in 1992 all the members were pleased of the color change and are very proud of our difference.

              Sharps Hill currently has a current membership of 24 active numbers, 14 lifetime members and 2 social members. Our training nights are every Tuesday night with the exception of the 4th Tuesday which is our department meeting night. Our members attend training sessions at local, state and national programs and have certifications by the National Professional Qualifications Board and the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy in Firefighter 1, Firefighter II, and Fire Service Instructor. In addition, our members also have certifications in Hazardous Materials and by the Pennsylvania Department of Health as Instructors, Paramedics, EMT's and First Responder as well as in Rescue.



              Our Allegheny County station number is 263 and we are dispatched by the Allegheny County Communications Center




              Column


              Our team


              Under Construction for updating



              Column
              Column
              • External link opens in new tab or window412.781.1226
              • External link opens in new tab or windowinfo@sharpshillvfd.org
              • External link opens in new tab or windowLinkedIn
              • External link opens in new tab or window



              Photos of past vehicles and incidents

               


              Column
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/155/3f9/first-engine-2.jpg
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/0ec/f92/IMG_1546.JPG
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/168/86a/111_1192.gif
              https://0201.nccdn.net/4_2/000/000/085/3be/1939-Ford.gif
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/0ec/0f2/1963-GMC.gif
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/15a/a56/1983-GMC-Roughneck-2.gif
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/0c6/4a2/Squad1.gif
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/0b3/e65/Squad2.gif
              https://0201.nccdn.net/4_2/000/000/048/b00/105_0595_2.GIF
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/12f/841/263-Squad-1.jpg
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/195/cc1/GEMS-and-Acquired-structure-048.jpg
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/089/d6d/112_1206.gif
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/0b5/320/Highland-Ave-Chimney-Fire-004.jpg
              https://0201.nccdn.net/4_2/000/000/017/e75/86313fb340bc413fa49a5b47353de0d0.gif
              https://0201.nccdn.net/4_2/000/000/084/a4e/Training-center-drill-011.jpg
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/174/5e5/softball-team-600x476.jpg
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/155/3f9/first-engine-2.jpg
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/0ec/f92/IMG_1546.JPG
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/168/86a/111_1192.gif
              https://0201.nccdn.net/4_2/000/000/085/3be/1939-Ford.gif
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/0ec/0f2/1963-GMC.gif
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/15a/a56/1983-GMC-Roughneck-2.gif
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/0c6/4a2/Squad1.gif
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/0b3/e65/Squad2.gif
              https://0201.nccdn.net/4_2/000/000/048/b00/105_0595_2.GIF
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/12f/841/263-Squad-1.jpg
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/195/cc1/GEMS-and-Acquired-structure-048.jpg
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/089/d6d/112_1206.gif
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/0b5/320/Highland-Ave-Chimney-Fire-004.jpg
              https://0201.nccdn.net/4_2/000/000/017/e75/86313fb340bc413fa49a5b47353de0d0.gif
              https://0201.nccdn.net/4_2/000/000/084/a4e/Training-center-drill-011.jpg
              https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/174/5e5/softball-team-600x476.jpg





              Our History


              Excerpts from News Record August 13-14, 1977

               

              The name Sharps Hill dates back to 1930 when the Sharps Hill Volunteer Fire Department was founded. It wasn’t long before the neighborhood adopted the name for its own. “Before that it was really nothing. People had a dozen names for it: Ferly’s Hill, Gobbler’s Knob and Polish Hill,” remembered 73-year-old Sharps Hill native John Farbacher, 535 Keystone St. Farbacher served as “temporary president” when the fire department was organized.

               

              He explained the name “Sharp’s Hill was chosen because one of the landowners in the area at one time was the Sharp family, which included James Sharp, who founded Sharpsburg in 1826.

               

              Today, however, the apostrophe in “Sharp’s” is usually omitted.

               

              The neighborhood was in critical need of a fire department of its own back in 1930, Farbacher said.

              “We had a couple of bad fires and people lost their homes and a couple of barns. The other fire departments wanted money (to fight fires) and we didn’t have any money. I decided then and there we had to build a fire station.”

               

              When the volunteers were unable to borrow the money for a station, Farbacher mortgaged his home to pay for the structure, which firemen built on Farbacher’s land next to his home.

               

              When the fireman moved to their new building on Berner Street in 1950, ownership of the old fire hall reverted to Farbacher. It now houses an auto repair garage run by his son, Robert.

               

              Additional History from meeting notes and other documents

               

              First Elections

               

              On September 18th, 1930 at a meeting held in Bumbich's Hall membership report showed there were a total of 56 paid, 2 dropped and 13 not paid. Bingo totals were $518.15, dues and initiation fees were $47.15. General Elections of Officers were held. For the office of President William Ganster recieved 22 votes, John Farbacher 2 votes, and James Christy 5 votes. For  Vice-President   John Farbacher obtained 13 votes, James Christy 9 and John Brown received 7. Secretary voting was Albert Mattheis with 28, John Brown 1 vote and August Eichner 2 votes. The position of  Treasure was obtained by James Christy getting 17 votes, Andrew Lipski received 13 votes while Albert Mattheis got 3 votes.

               

              Alex Harkiewicz was elected Fire Chief with 18 votes while John Brown obtained 10 and John Szymoniak received 6. Assistant Chief with 17 votes Paul Shafer while John Szymoniak received 13 and 1 vote was cast for John Rosinski.

               

              It was also at this meeting that a motion made by John Lewis, 2nd by August Eichner and passed by the house to have a Turkey Raffle on Thanksgiving Day.

               

              Department Charter

               

              On May 5, 1933 the name Sharps Hill Volunteer Fire Department of Shaler Township was registered with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of State and the Decree of Incorporation was the 18th of November 1936. Our inital mailing address was Shaler Township - RD #2, Box 467, Sharpsburg, County of Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Initial assets were $2500 in Real property and $314.00 in personal property.

              The incorporators were John Lewis Sr., John Ganster, Albert Mattheis, James Christy, John Farbacher, James Ganster, Florence Bernesser, Walter Harkiewicz Jr., John Szymoniak, and John Mader.

               





              Contact Us


              • External link opens in new tab or window412.781.1226
              • External link opens in new tab or windowinfo@sharpshillvfd.org
              • External link opens in new tab or window503 Berner Street, Pittsburgh, 15215
              Invalid Form properties detected







               

              Sharps Hill Fire Dept., 503 Berner Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15215

              Phone: 412.781.1226 | Email: info@sharpshillvfd.org | Office Hours: Open 24 hours 7 days a week and holidays


              • External link opens in new tab or windowFacebook
              • External link opens in new tab or windowLinkedIn
              • External link opens in new tab or window
              • External link opens in new tab or windowPinterest
                close lightbox