Community Spirit Thrives In Wake Of Abington Twp. Fire

ABINGTON TOWNSHIP, PA —Abington Township Commissioners Chairman Thomas Hecker had just wrapped up another press conference on the fire that gutted the SPS Technologies building on Monday night.

The fire left a hole in the community the size of the 600,000-square-foot building on Highland Avenue for a business that's been around the block for over 120 years.

But while the fire caused such devastation —but no injuries or fatalities —it also created a community bonding and outpouring of support for first responders and governments working together to provide an immediate response.

"The township and Montgomery County authorities have partnered incredibly well," Hecker told Patch following a press conference at the Abington Township Municipal Building on Tuesday afternoon. "We prevented a tragedy. This is inter-governmental cooperation at its best."

While the communities of Abington, Jenkintown, and Cheltenham have come together to coordinate coverage of the SPS Technologies fire, the outpouring and reaction these towns and first responders have received is a tribute to community spirit in times of tragedy.

"Often in the midst of tragedy we see our community come together in support of our friends and neighbors during their toughest times, and the recent fire at SPS Technologies is no different," said the Weldon Fire Company, whose firefighters battled the blaze. "Words cannot express our gratitude for all the businesses and members of the community that provided donations of money, food, water, snacks, gift cards, and words of encouragement for our volunteer firefighters."

Firefighters and first responders also received praise for their heroic efforts in keeping the fire from spreading with dangerous explosive chemicals housed in other SPS Technologies buildings.

"A big shout out to our Abington firefighters and all who came from the surrounding region to do an amazing job on this fire," said Bill Bole, Ward 13 Abington Commissioner.

Weldon Fire Company thanked all of its mutual aid partners for their assistance at "what was the largest fire in the history of the company."

"It was not only just during the fire but after when fire companies from near and far came to assist our company so that our members could get some much-needed rest and time to restore our equipment and apparatus," the Weldon Fire Company said. "We would also like to thank the Glenside and surrounding community which mobilized to provide continuous meals for our firefighters as they have worked day and night to mitigate this incident. The work is still not done and we truly appreciate our brothers and sisters in the fire service and our community."

State Rep. Ben Sanchez, a Glenside native, thanked first responders and firefighters from nearly 70 fire companies.

"I am eternally grateful for their service to all communities in need," Sanchez said.

"Our hearts go out to all those affected, and we are thinking of our neighbors during this challenging time," officials at the Briar Brush Nature Center said in a Facebook post.

Jenkintown Matters, a borough community organization, expressed its gratitude to all first responders.

"We also want to thank the police and fire personnel from across the region who showed up to assist. This fire, and the resulting loss of jobs and income, will undoubtedly impact the surrounding communities for years to come," Jenkintown Matters said. "We look forward to the findings from a fully transparent, objective investigation to uncover the causes of and the response to this tragic event."

(Weldon Fire Company)