Volunteer Fire Company and Community Events in Avis, PA

Two groups do most of the heavy lifting in Avis. The Avis Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 covers fire protection for the borough, and the Avis Area Recreation Association keeps the parks mowed and the town's events running. Both are staffed by neighbors who show up, and both can always use more hands.

Avis is a borough of about 1,500 people, ten miles or so from Lock Haven, and it is small enough that the borough website's parks and recreation page is simply a description of the volunteer association. If something public happens in town, one of these two groups probably organized it.

Who runs the fire protection in Avis?

The Avis Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 handles fire protection for the borough, answers emergency medical calls, and responds into the surrounding parts of Clinton and Lycoming counties. It operates out of the station at 1 East Central Avenue and runs on volunteers, from the people who answer calls to the members who handle fundraising and upkeep. If you want to help, you contact the company directly and ask what they need right now.

The money side explains why that help matters. The company received $12,233.63 from Pennsylvania's Fire Company and EMS grant program in the 2024 to 2025 round. A grant that size does not run a fire company for a year, which is why the fundraising side counts as much as the response side. When COVID forced the company to cancel its 2020 carnival, Pennsylvania Skill Charitable Donations stepped in with $6,000, and the company put it toward a UTV for fighting brush fires and running rescues. One canceled fundraiser left a hole that took an outside donation to fill.

Volunteer fire companies like this one need two different kinds of people. Some train as responders and go out on calls. Others sign on as support members and never touch a hose: they help with paperwork, run the kitchen at fundraisers, keep the trucks clean, and staff the annual carnival. Both roles matter, and the company will tell you which one fits your time and comfort level. Do not assume you have to be a certified firefighter to be useful, because most companies are just as short on the support side.

How do I become a volunteer with the Avis fire company?

Reach out to the Avis Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 and tell them you are interested. The station phone is 570-753-3016, and stopping by in person works too. There is no fee to join, and there is no fee to use this directory either. The company sets its own training and membership process, so the honest answer is that they decide what you qualify for, not us. We point you to them and they take it from there.

That is worth being clear about. Volunteer Clinton County is a directory, not a matching service. We do not sign you up, screen you, or promise the fire company will place you. What we do is help you find the right group and get in touch. Once you have made contact, the rest of the conversation happens between you and them. If firefighting is not the fit, ask about support membership, or look at current openings posted by other groups nearby.

What happens at the Avis Fireman's Carnival?

The carnival is the fire company's main fundraiser and the biggest week on the Avis calendar. The company has held it since the 1940s, and WNEP's coverage of a recent edition put the take at roughly $15,000 to $20,000 in a typical year. Apart from the 2020 cancellation, it keeps coming back every spring. The 2024 carnival ran Tuesday through Saturday, May 28 to June 1, on the fire hall grounds, and recent borough calendar listings land in that same late-May window.

Friday of carnival week is parade night. The 2024 parade stepped off at 6 p.m. rain or shine, with lineup starting an hour earlier at the west end of town near the Oak Grove Apartments. Visiting fire apparatus lines Central Avenue toward Short Street, floats and tractors stage on Rich Street, and judges hand out awards in the truck bay around 8 p.m. for categories like Best Appearing Engine, Tanker, Rescue, and Longest Distance Traveled. Entries are open, so anyone with a tractor, a classic car, or a float can join.

A five-day event eats volunteer hours. Booths need staffing, food needs cooking, the grounds need setting up before and cleaning up after, and somebody has to keep the parade lineup in order. The fire company and the recreation association both pull people in for it, so telling either group in early spring that you want to work the carnival is the easiest way in. The Christmas parades work the same way on a smaller scale.

What community events need volunteers in Avis?

The Avis Area Recreation Association handles most of the rest. The borough describes it as "dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for Avis Area residents with beautification and recreational opportunities," which in practice means parks and a steady calendar of small-town events. The association created Miller Triangle Park in 2002, added playground equipment in 2006, runs a doggie park at the Grove Street field area, and maintains the Kephart Baseball Complex, mural included.

Its event list is longer than you might guess for a town of 1,500. Car shows, fall festivals, Christmas parades with Santa, caroling, home-decorating contests, and a community yard sale held the first Saturday after the Fireman's Carnival have all been on the association's calendar. It also runs an annual cleanup of Triangle Park and the playgrounds, which is the quiet way to help if you would rather rake and paint than work a crowd. None of it happens without people setting up, tearing down, and working the booths.

Getting involved is informal. The association meets quarterly or as needed, and the borough office is the front door: call 570-753-5588 or email avisboro1@comcast.net. There is a bulletin board at the Avis Post Office with association news, and updates show up on the Avis Borough Happenings page on Facebook. For a fuller picture of what is going on locally, read our full Avis volunteering guide.

What else can I help with near Avis?

Plenty. Beyond the fire company and the recreation association, Avis sits close to groups working on food access and family needs, and those show up in our writeup on food and family support near Avis. If none of the Avis groups match what you are after, widen the search. You can browse every Clinton County organization in one place, or start from the town page for volunteer opportunities in Avis.

Avis is a short drive from the county seat of Lock Haven, where the list of nonprofits, schools, and civic groups is longer. It is common to volunteer in more than one town, and a lot of people do. If you are new to all of this and want the ground-level version first, volunteering across Clinton County walks through how local groups tend to work.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to be a trained firefighter to help the Avis fire company?

No. The Avis Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 uses both responders and support members. Support members help with fundraising, the annual carnival, truck and station upkeep, and administration, and none of that requires firefighting certification. Contact the company directly and ask which role fits your time. They set the training and membership requirements, not this directory.

Does it cost anything to volunteer or to use this directory?

No. Volunteer Clinton County is free to use, with no fees and no premium tiers. The Avis groups do not charge you to join either. You find a group here, you contact them directly, and you arrange the rest with them. We are a directory, so we do not sign you up or place you ourselves.

When is the Avis Fireman's Carnival?

Recent carnivals have run in late May, Tuesday through Saturday, on the fire hall grounds; the 2024 event ran May 28 to June 1 with the parade on Friday night. Dates shift year to year, so check with the fire company or the recreation association for the current schedule. If you want to help work it, tell them early, since setup, food, and cleanup all need volunteers lined up ahead of time.

How do I reach the Avis Area Recreation Association?

Through the borough office: call 570-753-5588 or email avisboro1@comcast.net. The association meets quarterly or as needed, posts news on its bulletin board at the Avis Post Office, and shares updates on the Avis Borough Happenings Facebook page. Ask which upcoming event or park project needs hands and they will point you somewhere.