The Wayne Highlands Education Association (WHEA) has a Community Outreach Program funded by teachers in the Wayne Highlands School District who participate in dress-down days throughout the year. 

Through this program, WHEA is able to donate money to local nonprofits in the area and give two $1,000 scholarships to Honesdale High School seniors pursuing a career in education.  

The sixth recipient of the WHEA Community Outreach Program for the 2025-2026 school year is the Honesdale Fire Department. The department is entirely volunteer and consists of four companies: Hose Company No. 1, Alert Hook and Ladder No. 2, Protection Engine Company No. 3, and Texas No. 4.  

The department serves approximately 10,500 citizens in a 45-square-mile fire district.  The department’s fire district includes two boroughs and five surrounding townships. The coverage area consists of an urbanized center within the borough, including the Wayne County Courthouse, Wayne Memorial Hospital, a number of retirement and assisted living facilities, summer camps and many older storefronts, as well as a growing rural perimeter population.

The Honesdale Fire Department provides unique features and new technology on fire apparatus, and increases fire safety through fire prevention programs visiting local schools, preschools and day care centers each year.  Department members take days off from their regular jobs to come to the schools, bringing fire apparatus and the Fire Prevention Safety Trailer, which allows students to experience simulated smoke conditions and practice escaping these conditions.  

Visits from the fire department to our schools inspire students to one day become members themselves; planting this seed early will help maintain critical volunteer membership. 

Funding for the Honesdale Fire Department is largely generated from fundraising, requiring many hours of dedicated volunteering, and from donations.  

The department is active on a daily basis, responding to not only structure fires but also to natural disaster situations, helicopter landing zones, various rescue situations, automobile accidents, natural cover fires, locating lost persons, traffic control and assisting police and ambulance personnel. Each year the department is called to service nearly 400 times. 

Honesdale currently operates three engines, two ladders, one rescue and two support units. Staffing these units are over 80 well-trained and certified volunteers. Countless hours each year are dedicated to training, fundraising and the protection of the community. 

WHEA is proud to support such a great organization in our community.