Liam McCann, a senior at Cheltenham High School, recently received his Eagle Scout badge for restoring the old fire gong at the Glenside Fire Company.

Over the past year plus, McCann worked with local steelworkers, welders, crane operators, and carpenters, firefighters and other Boy Scouts to finish the project.

He also worked with the community to obtain permits, approvals, and inspections. 

The project idea stemmed from a suggestion from McCann’s father, who is a volunteer firefighter at Glenside Fire Company. Mr. McCann had been involved in talks with other firefighters about attempting to return the gong, which was housed in a private collector’s barn. The collector had been encouraging the company to take the gong back to the firehouse to restore and display it for all to enjoy.

“This project was incredibly meaningful to me, not only because it is one of my proudest accomplishments and played an incredibly prominent role in my life for almost two years,” McCann said, “but because my dad is a firefighter, I spent much of my childhood growing up around the firehouse and it was incredibly rewarding to be able to give something back to the station and the amazing people volunteering their time to help protect our community.” 

The gong was once used to alert firefighters of emergencies before the invention and implementation of radios, whistles, phones, etc. It was made from a retired steam locomotive wheel and, when hit with a hammer, sounds similar to a bell, only significantly louder. 

“While the project was a massive amount of work, the outcome was incredibly rewarding and hopefully, the gong will outlast many of us and will be there for generations to enjoy and learn a little bit about the fire company’s history,” said McCann.

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Photos: CSD