EAST BRADFORD >> When the call goes out from the campus of West Chester University, one of the three all-volunteer fire companies making up the West Chester Fire Department answers.

As a thank you for the dedicated service, the West Chester University Foundation donated $3,000 to the First West Chester Fire Company off South Bradford Avenue in East Bradford.

“The foundation operates many of the dorms on the campus, so if there was a fire in one of those high-rises, the companies would be responding,” said Richard Przywara, executive director of the foundation.

Since 1799, the First West Chester Fire Company has served the community of West Chester, including 144 years watching over the university since its founding in 1871.

“It’s a quite a bug facility that the volunteers here at the fire house respond to,” said Tom Barton, president of First West Chester. “We keep a 110 percent idea that when going (to the university), the likelihood of people being trapped, injured or lost in the facility is something that we train for.”

The West Chester University Foundation exists to support the goals of the university through fundraising activities, among other things.

Though the fire company isn’t part of the university, the foundation members felt they should give thanks for all the years of answering the calls on campus.

“In one sense, it is a no-brainer because this is a special group of volunteers,” Przywara said. “They put their lives at risk to help our students. If there’s a call in the middle of the night and students are in trouble, I want to make sure that the fire companies are able to respond.”

Receiving the gratitude of the foundation and the university

“We’re very honored that they keep us in mind and that they recognize that we are a 100 percent volunteer organization and that we all have other jobs,” Barton said. “When that alarm goes off, we do our best to get there timely and work through whatever emergency they’re facing.”

First West Chester Fire Company is one of three – Fame and Good Will being the others – companies which comprises the West Chester Fire Department and all three have the distinction of being completely made up of volunteers.

“I have such respect for these companies that are run by volunteer men and women,” Przywara said. “These are volunteers – this is my neighbor doing this. He’s going to climb out of bed at 3 a.m. or he’s going to run out of his office.

“If these were paid professionals and was part of a government service, you might feel differently, but these are volunteers and they provide an extraordinary service. As we can, we want to try to be helpful.”

Known as the “Fightin’ 51st” among the tight-knit group, the First West Chester Fire Company is made up of volunteers of all ages.

“We have a diverse group from young to old that decided they wanted to be involved in fire service,” Barton said. “We take junior members beginning at age 16 and we have senior members up through their 70s. We’ve been around since 1799 and it has rung true year after year that members young and old come together in an emergency.”

This isn’t the first time the foundation has made a contribution to the company.

In fact, it has been doing it for the past few years, but it was still nice for Przywara to be able to hand-deliver the donation on Thursday afternoon.

“It’s good to know who you’re working with,” he said. “I thought I would drive over and see the chief and some of the captains. I haven’t seen them in a year and I got to see some of the equipment and what they’re doing with their volunteers. It was a chance to reconnect and say thank you.”

If anyone is interested in getting involved with the either of the three fire companies in West Chester, contact any one of the fire houses to come down and visit and fill out an application.