Wissahickon Fire Co

What Wissahickon Fire Co does

Wissahickon Fire Company is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, 100% volunteer fire and rescue organization chartered on April 7, 1891, and headquartered at 245 Race Street in Ambler, Pennsylvania. It delivers 24/7, 365-day emergency fire suppression, vehicle and technical rescue (including water, high angle, trench, confined space), hazardous materials response, and terrorism response capabilities to approximately 17,500 residents across Ambler Borough and Lower Gwynedd Township. Operations are run from two stations — Station 7A in Ambler (currently closed for renovations) and Station 7B in Spring House — supported by a fleet of seven apparatus units and mutual aid partnerships with Fort Washington Fire Company and other Montgomery County fire companies. Members are trained to state-recognized certification levels, including Firefighter I-III, Fire Officer I-II, Fire Investigator, Fire Inspector, Haz Mat Operations, and Fire Instructor I-II, with seven members having completed over 200 hours of training to earn National Firefighter 1 Certification in mid-2026.

The organization's service portfolio extends beyond emergency response into community risk reduction, offering fire prevention education on smoke alarms, kitchen safety, carbon monoxide, heating hazards, electrical safety, and evacuation planning, alongside school and classroom visit programs. Volunteer membership is structured across four tracks: firefighters (ages 18+), junior firefighters (ages 16-17) under Pennsylvania Junior Emergency Service Program compliance, fire police (ages 21+), and non-firefighting administrative roles. The go-to-market model is community-led, relying on social media (@WissahickonFC), the station7.org website, annual open houses, and school outreach to recruit volunteers and donors.

As a 100% volunteer entity, Wissahickon generates no fee-for-service revenue and instead funds operations exclusively through voluntary, tax-deductible donations. Revenue streams include an Annual Fund Drive letter campaign, PayPal and check donations, the Amazon Smile affiliate program (EIN 23-3031422), and lottery calendar sales. Pricing is non-applicable since emergency services are provided at no charge. Governance rests with an Executive Board and Board of Trustees, with leadership including President Albert Comly, Chief Jay Leadbeater, Vice President Keith Bower, and Treasurer Mark Street. The entity is privately held, has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity.

Name

Wissahickon Fire Co

Legal name

Wissahickon Fire Company

Website

https://station7.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1891

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wissahickon Fire Company is a 100% volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit fire and rescue organization founded in 1891, serving approximately 17,500 residents of Ambler Borough and Lower Gwynedd Township in Pennsylvania with 24/7 emergency fire suppression, technical rescue, hazmat response, and fire prevention education from two stations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

Keywords

• Volunteer fire services
• Emergency fire response
• Technical rescue operations
• Fire prevention education
• Hazardous material response

Headquarters

HQ city

Ambler, PA

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: As a 501(c) nonprofit organization, the Wissahickon Fire Company relies on community donations to fund services. This includes an Annual Fund Drive, PayPal donations, check donations, Amazon Smile program, and lottery calendar sales where proceeds directly support the volunteer organization.
2. Amazon Smile Donations: Through Amazon Smile program, Amazon makes small donations to the fire company every time supporters make purchases, at no additional cost to donors. EIN: 23-3031422.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wissahickon Fire Company is a 100% volunteer, 501(c) non-profit organization that delivers 24/7, 365-day emergency fire suppression, vehicle and technical rescue, hazardous material incident response, and fire prevention education to approximately 17,500 residents of Ambler Borough and Lower Gwynedd Township in Pennsylvania. Operations are supported by community donations and a volunteer membership program offering firefighter, junior firefighter, fire police, and administrative roles, with all training and equipment provided at no cost to members.

Product overview

Wissahickon Fire Company operates as a 100% volunteer organization established in 1891, providing emergency fire and rescue services 24/7, 365 days a year to approximately 17,500 residents of Ambler Borough and Lower Gwynedd Township. The organization operates from two stations (Station 7A in Ambler and Station 7B in Spring House) with a fleet of apparatus including Engine 7, Squad 7, Ladder 7, Rescue 7, Chief 7, Utility 7, and Traffic 7. Core offerings include emergency fire suppression, vehicle rescue, hazardous material response, and technical rescue operations. Community services encompass fire prevention education programs covering smoke alarms, kitchen safety, carbon monoxide, heating, electrical hazards, and fire evacuation planning. Volunteer membership programs include firefighter (ages 18+), junior firefighter (ages 16-17), fire police (ages 21+), and non-firefighting administrative roles. The organization is a registered 501(c) non-profit funded through tax-deductible donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Fire and Rescue Services 24/7, 365-day emergency fire suppression, vehicle rescue, hazardous material incident response, and technical rescue operations serving the 17,500 residents of Ambler Borough and Lower Gwynedd Township, provided at no charge by certified volunteers.
• Fire Prevention Education Community education programs covering fire safety, prevention, and household hazard awareness including smoke alarms, kitchen safety, carbon monoxide, heating, electrical hazards, and fire evacuation planning, delivered through school visits and public outreach.
• Firefighter Membership Program Volunteer firefighter program for adults 18 and older providing state-certified training and equipment at no cost, covering fire suppression, vehicle rescue, and hazardous material response, with pathway to National Firefighter 1 Certification and State Fire Commissioner-recognized credentials.
• Junior Firefighter Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Seven members recently completed over 200 hours of training to earn National Firefighter 1 Certification

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• State Fire Commissioner's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Wissahickon Fire Company has been recognized by the State Fire Commissioner's Office for firefighters reaching state and national certification levels including Firefighter I, II & III, Fire Officer I & II, Fire Investigator, Fire Inspector, Haz Mat Operations, and Fire Instructor I & II.
• Fort Washington Fire CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual aid partnership where Fort Washington Fire Company assisted the Wissahickon Fire Company with extinguishing a mobile camper fire and Fire Marshal investigation.
• Fire Companies from Montgomery CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-company response to major incidents including a 3rd alarm fire at 6 South Main Street in Ambler Borough, where fire companies from various parts of Montgomery County worked together to extinguish the blaze.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Volunteer Fire Council: National nonprofit organization representing the interests of volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services across the U.S. Directly analogous in mission (advancing the volunteer fire service model) but at the federal advocacy and training-clearinghouse level rather than municipal operations.
• International Association of Fire Fighters: Largest union representing professional firefighters and paramedics in North America. Overlaps in fire service mission but contrasts with Wissahickon's all-volunteer model; useful as a broad-incumbent reference point for the fire and emergency response sector.

Regional players

• Volunteer Fireman's Association of Montgomery County: Regional umbrella association coordinating volunteer fire companies across Montgomery County, PA. Comparable in mission (supporting and representing volunteer fire service) and geography, though it operates as an association rather than an operating fire company.

Direct peers

• Fort Washington Fire Company: Volunteer fire company in Upper Dublin Township, Montgomery County, PA. Named mutual-aid partner of Wissahickon and operates the same volunteer/fundraising/donation model serving a similar suburban PA community, making it the most directly comparable peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/WissahickonFC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wissahickon-fire-co

Compliance13 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wissahickon Fire Co