Credit: Montgomery County.
The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting room was filled with sounds of roaring applause Thursday morning as first responders were recognized for their efforts battling a massive fire at SPS Technologies in Jenkintown that closed schools, stopped rail transit and prompted the temporary evacuation of nearby homes amid air quality concerns.
The four-alarm blaze at the Abington Township-based manufacturing plant prompted the response of hundreds of firefighters from across the region to quell flames that took five days to fully extinguish. While more than 60 employees were inside at the time of the incident, all were evacuated, with no injuries or fatalities reported.
“On behalf of all of the residents of Montgomery County, thank you for your service,” said Montgomery County Commissioners’ Chairman Neil Makhija, as representatives from several area fire and police departments were handed commendations.
Among those present were the Weldon Fire Company, Abington Township Police Department, Abington Township’s government and emergency services representatives, Jenkintown Fire Department, and the Second Alarmers Rescue Squad. Several mutual aid companies were acknowledged, including those hailing from Abington, Edge Hill, Elkins Park, Glenside, and Roslyn.
“What we saw this morning is what’s the best of Montgomery County, a community coming together,” said Montgomery County Commissioners’ Vice Chairwoman Jamila Winder.
The four-alarm fire broke out Feb. 17 at the nearly 600,000-square-foot fastener manufacturing plant located at 301 Highland Ave. County commissioners commended the strong response with 80 companies from Bucks, Chester and Montgomery counties.
“This was actually one of the largest fires in the history of Montgomery County,” Makhija said, adding, “to have that occur and require the level of response that it did, and not have a single fatality, a serious injury, is a tremendous testament to our first responders, our firefighters, their training, capability, and their commitment.”
The circumstances leading up to the explosion and subsequent fire are unclear, but Abington Township Police Chief Patrick Molloy previously told MediaNews Group that the tactics taken by firefighters were critical to staving off “what could have been a mass casualty incident.”
Commissioner Tom DiBello acknowledged the comprehensive training efforts and previous drills that have taken place at the manufacturing plant.
“It wasn’t by accident that no one was injured or no one was killed during that fire. A lot of prep went into ensur[ing] that if anything ever did happen on site, they were prepared,” DiBello said.
Some responding volunteer firefighters are also employed with the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety. They too were recognized during Thursday’s board meeting. In addition, Montgomery County Department of Public Safety personnel who also serve as volunteer firefighters were spotlighted personally for their efforts. The three commissioners marveled at the efforts of the mostly volunteer-led companies across the county.
“As Montgomery County residents, we are in really good hands,” DiBello said, adding “they are heroes.”
“It’s [an] incredibly important role for us in public service to find ways to support our first responders, the heroes who put themselves at risk for the sake of our entire community and we as a board are committed to that,” Makhija said, noting the established real estate tax rebate program for eligible volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel.
The February 2024 enactment of the program meant to offer financial incentives to eligible first responders through the Active Volunteer Real Estate Tax Rebate Ordinance has netted 902 submissions for county officials to evaluate as of Friday, with submissions due on Monday, March 10, according to a county spokesperson,
The adjacent Highland Restaurant and Bar in Glenside served as a command post for first responders. Co-owners Dan and Chelsea Katz were in attendance as they too were given a commendation.
“I just think it’s incredible to have members of the community and neighbors who were there to serve in the way that you could,” Makhija said, expressing his thanks to the Katzes “for being model citizens and providing the support for our first responders that again set a great example for many members of our community.”
SPS Technologies employs nearly 500 people in the manufacture of fasteners for aerospace-related products and has been in the area for more than 100 years, according to the company’s website. As a significant part of the fabric of the Abington Township, the incident took a toll on the local economy. An SPS Technologies spokesperson said the company intends to compensate their employees through at least mid-March as company representatives assess current equipment viability.
Two class-action lawsuits have since been filed as attorneys cited “hazardous materials mismanagement” and asserted that “SPS’s negligence and recklessness led to a catastrophic fire that caused significant health risks, property damage and economic losses to surrounding residents and businesses.”
Gov. Josh Shapiro toured the site last month. In conjunction with Montgomery County Commerce Director Stephen Forster, Makhija affirmed intentions to work to assist SPS Technologies employees. He added Forster has been in talks with the fastener company and Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industries representatives.
“We are looking to support the 500 employees who’s lives have been upended by the fire, and we’re going to work to make sure that their jobs can stay in Montgomery County, and advocate to do whatever we can,” Makhija said. “Whether it’s finding a new site and location, or working on finding them other companies that they can apply their skills to. So we are absolutely committed to the community, the employees and ensuring that we as a county do everything we can to get people back on their feet.”
