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Montgomery County honors hundreds of volunteer firefighters, HAZMAT and county staff after massive SPS Technologies fire in Abington
Summary
County commissioners recognized volunteer fire companies, county HAZMAT and public affairs staff and local business owners after a Feb. 17 fire at SPS Technologies in Abington that involved about 80 responding companies, evacuated 60 employees and produced no fatalities or serious injuries.
Montgomery County commissioners used their March 6 meeting to publicly commend dozens of volunteer firefighters, county hazardous‑materials personnel and local volunteers who responded to a Feb. 17 blaze at SPS Technologies in Abington.
At the meeting the county noted the building involved was about 600,000 square feet and said roughly 80 fire companies from Montgomery, Delaware and Bucks counties assisted in containing the blaze. The county said all 60 SPS employees on site at the time were evacuated and there were “not a single fatality or serious injury.”
The board called the response an extraordinary example of local emergency management and volunteer service. “This was actually one of the largest fires in the history of Montgomery County,” the commissioner who opened the meeting said, praising firefighters’ training and commitment. The speaker also emphasized that “they're all volunteers,” noting many responders have day jobs and returned to work after overnight shifts at the scene.
County officials singled out the Weldon Fire Company as the lead on the scene and named several local departments that provided mutual aid, including Abington, Glenside, Elkins Park, Jenkintown and McKinley fire companies. County Director of Public Safety Brian O'Callaghan, HAZMAT Team Chief Brandon Purcell and Todd Stierlitz, deputy director of public affairs, were recognized for on-site leadership and communications work during the multiday response.
The county also publicly thanked Dan and Chelsea Katz, owners of the Highland Restaurant and Bar near the SPS site, who allowed responders to use the restaurant as a command center and provided meals and a workspace. Commissioners described the restaurant and local volunteers, Red Cross callers and residents who sheltered displaced families as “model citizens” for stepping in to support responders and neighbors.
Commissioners reiterated measures the county has taken to support first responders, including a county property‑tax rebate for volunteer fire and EMS personnel. County officials also asked Commerce Director Steve Forrester and the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry to coordinate rapid‑response support for employees displaced by the fire; commissioners said roughly 500 jobs were affected countywide and the county would work to help those employees find work or a new site where their jobs could remain in Montgomery County.
The board presented formal commendations and asked responders and county emergency staff to come forward for group recognition and photographs.
Ending: County officials said the incident underlined the county's reliance on volunteer emergency services and the importance of sustained training, equipment and interagency coordination. No new policy decisions about funding or capital purchases were announced at the March 6 meeting; commissioners said follow‑up reporting on air quality monitoring and employee support would be provided as those efforts continued.
