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1. What should I do in the case of a fire?

Call 911 immediately! Even a small fire can get out of hand very quickly. The 911 dispatcher will send out a call to the Alpha Fire Company to respond to your fire emergency.

Alpha Fire Company

2. Who pays for fire service?

The major source of funds for the equipment and operation of the company comes from the annual budget of the Centre Region Council of Governments (COG). The members of the COG includes the Borough of State College and the Townships of Harris, Patton, Ferguson, College and Halfmoon.

These funds are budgeted annually and follow the process for submission, review, and approval by the COG General Forum. Nearly all of the operational budget of the Alpha Fire Company and funds to purchase apparatus come from the COG. Apparatus purchases are significant, routinely costing hundreds of thousands of dollars and are planned over a 20 year replacement schedule.

3. Who are the Alphas?

The Alpha Fire Company is an all volunteer company of firefighters dedicated to providing professional fire and rescue services throughout the area. Their membership is comprised of individuals employed in diverse fields including computer technicians, sales people, mechanics, police officers, landscapers, bankers, and Penn State students, faculty and staff. Simply put, they are your neighbors.

Alpha firefighters are well trained. The training program provides all the necessary training to safely and effectively function as part of a fire/rescue team. Within the first 18 months of membership, volunteers complete Alpha Fire Company's in-house training course, outside training leading to state certification as Firefighter I, Hazardous Materials Operations, CPR/AED, First Aid and a number of online courses dealing with organization and structure of the emergency services. Both Alpha's in house and external required training is paid for by the fire company and is not a burden to its members.

4. Who is in charge of the Fire Safety Program in the Centre Region?

Centre Region Code Administration provides for a fire safety program under the regulations of the Centre Region Building Safety & Property Maintenance Code.

Fire Safety Program

5. How do I apply for a Fire Safety Permit

No person, firm, business, association or corporation shall operate a place of assembly, business, education, factory, mercantile, hotel, motel, assisted living facility or storage facility or rent such space to a person, firm, business, association or corporation until a fire safety program license (permit) has been issued by the Centre Region Code Administration. Fire Safety Program licenses (permits) are not transferrable and are only valid for a specific tenant, occupant, franchisee, business, or legal entity. If the occupying entity changes, a new fire safety program license shall be applied for within 5 calendar days of the change occurring.

Apply for a permit...

6. What are the requirements for fire extinguishers in rental units?

Every rental unit must have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen area. The extinguisher must be mounted on the wall no higher than 5 feet from the floor and away from the stove. Apartment buildings and rooming houses are required to have fire extinguishers in hallways.

For questions regarding fire extinguishers, please contact the Centre Region Code Administration Office at 234-3812.