Township believes it can handle taller buildings

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) -- Despite not having to deal with buildings of four to eight stories in the past, members of the Cranberry volunteer fire department in Butler County insist they are ready for any emergency at the taller buildings now on the way.
The first of two six-story office towers is under construction and an eight-story hotel and conference center is scheduled to open soon.
The new buildings themselves offer the first line of defense, with advanced sprinkler systems and fireproof building materials to hold fires in check until firefighters arrive, officials said.
In addition to a fire company truck with a 100-foot ladder, firefighters are equipped with high-rise packs -- 50 pounds of hose that can be connected to the building's water system.
John Rose, a volunteer firefighter since 1981, said the department trains on four-story towers at Butler County Community College.
Tom Savage, director of the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute in Harrisburg, said there is not much difference between fighting a fire in a four-story building and a six- or eight-story building.