The Butler County Fire Chiefs Association was started in 1952 when it took the place of the Butler County Fireman's Association.

The organization was started to promote education, safety and to better the emergency response for all fire companies in and around Butler County and their political subdivisions.

The association is proud to state it has the largest weekend fire training school in Pennsylvania, but this does not come cheap. The average cost depending on enrollment runs $30,000 to $40,000 per year to educate and to train paid and volunteer departments.

The association partners itself with the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy, Slippery Rock University and Butler County Community College. BC3 has dedicated itself to educating first responders and has built a state of the art fire and rescue training center at the main campus.

With its help, the association is working on a new gas well education area with an active platform. Propane for just one weekend gas well class runs about $1,600.

Annually the Butler County Commissioners donate $10,000 to the education fund to train first responders. Without their assistance this could not be accomplished.

The fire chiefs association presents two $2,000 scholarships per year to members or their family members who are working toward higher education.

The association believes that education and training allow for its members to go home to their families once the emergency call is over.

The association is run by a board of directors with Mark Lauer as president and Scott Hoffman as vice president. It meets every third Thursday of the month with the meeting location throughout the county visiting fire companies.

In 2011, the Butler County Fire School will celebrate 60 years of educating first responders.

The Butler County Fire Chief's Association is at 120 McCune Drive, Butler, PA 16001.

This article was submitted by Mark Lauer, president of the Butler County Fire Chiefs Association.