Engine 6, a legacy fire company in Port Richmond, reopened Thursday after 16 years of being inactive.
Based at 2601 Belgrade St., the group was founded in 1871 and operated for more than 100 years before it closed in 2009. It's one of three Philly stations that have been restored with the help of a $22.4 million Federal Emergency Management Agency grant, which was issued by President Joe Biden in December 2023 and earmarked to pay the salaries of 72 firefighters for three years.
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“Placing Engine 6 back on the street doesn't only provide a stronger safety net for the city, it’s an added layer of safety for our members who must rely on one another during a fire or emergency," Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson said.
The building on Belgrade Street remained open after Engine 6 shuttered and has been home to the Ladder 16 fire company, as well as a medic and EMS unit. In addition to paying the firefighters, the FEMA money was also used on renovations, including repairs to the floor, ceiling and roof. Engine 6 serves residents in Kensington, Port Richmond and Fishtown.
Seven companies closed due to budget cuts in 2009, but they have all since returned. In 2019, a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant from FEMA brought back the four of the companies: Engines 1 in South Philly, Engine 8 in Old City, Engine 14 in Frankford and Engine 39 in Roxborough. Ladder 1 in Francisville reopened in December 2023 and Ladder 11 in South Philadelphia was reactivated in April 2024.
Engine 6 was founded on March 15, 1871, replacing Good Intent Fire Company at 134 Allen St., the Fireman's Hall Museum said. It moved to 1118 E. Montgomery Ave. in 1875, where it stayed until it relocated to its current space in 1952.