Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Facing potential removal from the dispatch rotation, the Newportville Fire Company will host a town hall meeting Wednesday to address concerns and discuss its future.
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The town hall meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at the fire station at 2425 New Falls Road.
The 99-year-old volunteer fire company faces a possible shutdown after concerns over past mismanagement, including the arrest of a former chief, and operational issues.
The Bristol Township Council is expected to vote on an ordinance that would remove the company from its active response list.
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With Newportville removed as a responding fire company, it would cease to serve as an emergency response organization.
During the meeting, fire company officials plan to review information regarding the organization’s status, answer questions, and address the public.
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Elected officials have been invited by the fire company to attend.
“In the interest of complete transparency, documentation will be available for review, dating back to 2020,” fire company officials said in a statement. “Our goal is simple: to ensure our community has access to the facts and can make informed decisions based on the available information.”
“We ask the community to attend this meeting and make your voice heard!”
While Newportville leadership has acknowledged past problems, they noted to council last month that operational and response improvements have been made.
From July: Standoff Between Bristol Twp. & Newportville Fire Company Continues
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Speaking to council last month, Chief Ryan Cummings said the fire company has complied with municipal directives, submitted a written recovery plan and applied for a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recruitment grant.
Should Newportville be removed, its municipal funding would be reallocated to expand the budgets of the township’s four other volunteer fire companies – Croydon, Edgely, Levittown No. 2, and Third District.
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Township officials said that emergency services will remain uninterrupted through the remaining volunteer departments and the career staff of Bristol Township Fire Rescue.
