Fire Company Remembers 32nd Anniversay Of Firefighter Death

WYNNEWOOD, PA — Penn Wynne-Overbook Hills Fire Company Firefighter Harold Beck Jr. died 32 years ago to the day Friday in the 1988 Kiddie City Fire in Ardmore.

The fire company Friday marked the solemn 32nd anniversary of Beck's death on Oct. 30, 1988 at the close of National Fire Prevention Month. Beck is the only Penn Wynne-Overbrook Hills firefighter killed in the line of duty.

Beck, of Havertown, died at just 41 when he suffered a heart attack while fighting the nine-alarm fire at Kiddie City in Ardmore.

Firefighters were called to the store at about 3:20 a.m. Oct. 30, 1988.

A passerby reported seeing smoke coming from the Kiddie City building.

First arriving units were met with heavy black smoke, prompting calls for additional fire companies to respond.

Ultimately, the fire reached nine alarms with 300 firefighters from 11 companies fighting the blaze that had spread beyond Kiddie City and into adjacent buildings.

The fire was placed under control at 6:42 a.m., however fire company equipment remained on location for days to assist with hotspots.

Beck was at the Kiddie City fire when he suffered a heart attack, which was fatal. The company photographer, Beck was given a Firefighter’s Funeral and has been memorialized with a plaque in the firehouse.

"I was there that night," said Ted Schmid, a longtime firefighter and now Chief of the Penn Wynne-Overbrook Hills Fire Company since 2018. "All of firefighters had fought back the fire and had been able to keep it from engulfing neighboring homes so the mood was jubilant, when Harold when down. Whenever you lose a man battling a blaze, it’s a devastating loss for the firehouse,e and we will never forget it. We will never forget Harold."

Chief Schmid noted that the company wanted to have a ceremony to remember Beck and say a few words on the anniversary of his death, but canceled the event due to safety concerns surrounding the pandemic.

"We’ll have an event to celebrate him and his life when we can open up the firehouse to the public and share with them how special Harold was and how much of a sacrifice he made."