Delco Fire Company Closing After 114 Years Of Service

EAST LANSDOWNE, PA — A longstanding Delaware County fire company is closing after serving the community for more than 100 years.

East Lansdowne Borough officials Monday voted to close the East Lansdowne Fire Department.

The fire company said after Monday's vote, it will close on Dec. 31 after 114 years.

"This is not a decision the department makes willingly," the fire company said in a statement. "While East Lansdowne Fire Company fully recognizes the challenges caused by a nationwide decline in volunteer firefighters, the Borough has declined to provide the funding necessary to address those challenges. Instead, Borough officials have requested that the department discontinue operations rather than provide funding for staffing support."

According to Fox 29, the borough "assisted the fire department financially, above the $59,000 a year that is allotted to them through the fire tax and general fund," and that the borough helped pay the mortgage, bills, and more.

NBC10 reports the fire company only has five members. The National Fire Protection Association recommends a minimum of 16 firefighters for response to a typical single-family dwelling fire.

"Over the past decade, ELFD has held numerous discussions with Borough officials outlining the need for part-time or daytime staffing to ensure adequate coverage during low-volunteer periods," the fire company said. "Despite repeated acknowledgments of the problem, the borough declined to provide the funding necessary to implement those solutions."

The fire company said borough officials told them the borough would not fund any form of paid staffing and asked the fire department to stop operations entirely.

The fire company said fire protection for the borough will continue through surrounding mutual-aid fire companies, as neighboring departments currently provide coverage under established mutual-aid arrangements.

"However, it is important to note that those departments are also volunteer based in most cases and face similar staffing shortages," the fire company said. "Response times and available manpower may vary depending on time of day and regional call volume."

In their statement, the fire company said its closure "brings attention to the critical need for sustainable funding and regional cooperation to maintain emergency services in small communities like ours."

"The East Landowne Fire Department has done everything within its power to continue serving this community," the fire company said. "Our members have volunteered their time, raised funds, and operated professionally with limited resources."