The popular Charlie Brown's Restaurant burned down in Paoli in June, 1981 (DLN) A tragic house fire in East Whiteland in August, 1983, resulted in the loss of five lives, prompting a very intense smoke detector awareness in the area.

(DLN) The Firehouse Restaurant, Frazer, suffered a lire loss estimated at over $250,000 the day after Thanksgiving, 1983, People living on the top floor escaped, which was attributed to working smoke detectors. (DLN) Wolpert's Main Line Animal Inn, Matthews Road, had a $90,000 kennel loss to fire in January 1985, (DLN) The Francis Lewis house was destroyed in Willistown in February 1985. (DLN)

The eighties were highlighted by the move to the new $550,000 firehouse on the borough watershed property, south of King Street at the eastern end of the borough. Work on fund drives and fund raisers consumed the time and energy of everyone connected with the Malvern Fire Company during the late 1970s and the 1980s.

After 94 years of off-and-on looking for a site other than the original Church Street property, the bursting-at-the-seams Company was able to have enough building and land to accommodate all of its needs and functions: a four-bay station with a meeting room for the Company and rentals, a kitchen, members recreation room, administrative offices and bathrooms with showers.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place July 15, 1981. Presidents of the Company and the Ladies' Auxiliary then were Joe LeBresco. Sr. and Mrs. Martha Stebbins. Dick Rambo and George Lamb chaired the building committee. T.G Whitley was the architect and C. Donald Cox, the builder.

National, state, county and local government officials, visiting firemen, service area residents and the Company thoroughly enjoyed the September 18 celebration of the completion of four years of planning, fund-raising and building.

Once again the 1903 gasoline pumper was drawn by horses in the parade of 74 pieces of equipment from Sugartown Road, the western boundary of Malvern Borough, to the eastern boundary, the new firehouse. A flag pole donated by the V.F. W. Post 5203, Paoli, and the old fire bell from the original firehouse stand s sentinels outside the new structure. (SA)

At a December 21, 1987 ceremony with Mrs. Nancy Schule standing in for her husband, U.S. Rep. Richard T. Schulze, Malvern Fire Company Chief Gerald P. Vaughn was one of eight people to receive the Congressional Medal of Valor for his part in extricating a seriously injured teenager from a burning car, following an accident. This medal is given "when an individual goes above and beyond the call of duty—to help out another person, even when the situation could endanger his own life." (Inquirer, 1/28/88)

in February, 1988, Pennsylvania Rep. Robert J. Flick presented a House of Representatives Citation to Company members Joe LeBresco, Sr„ Jim Rapp, Craig Patton and Dave Mellinger, Jr. for their work in rescuing two people in a $95,000 house fire in November, 1987.

Continued

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