What Happens Next As Newportville Fire Company Prepares For Last 9-1-1 Call

On Saturday, Sept. 19, the Newportville Fire Company will mark its final day of service and set off a once-in-a-generation transition that will reshape the fire service across Bristol Township.

When the end date arrives, as stipulated by last month’s Bristol Township Council vote, the Bucks County 9-1-1 Center will no longer dispatch Newportville’s engine, rescue truck, or other emergency vehicles.

Then, Bristol Township will drop the organization from its municipal workers’ compensation insurance, which is an important requirement for any volunteer company, according to Emily Patz, the township’s new communications director.

Until the cutoff, however, the station’s crew intends to remain on call.

“The dedicated members of the Newportville Fire Company continue to answer calls and will continue to answer calls until the day we are no longer dispatched,” Chief Ryan Cummings said.

As part of the municipality’s requirement to maintain fire protection coverage, the township’s remaining volunteer companies—Croydon, Edgely, Levittown No. 2, and Third District—will absorb Newportville’s former district. Daytime coverage will continue to be supplemented by career staff from Bristol Township Fire Rescue, which mans Engine 225 at the Municipal Complex on Bath Road.

Third District Fire Company is set to take over the largest share of the redistricted area.

Ahead of the transition date, the remaining volunteer fire companies have already been dispatching an extra truck to every Newportville call, officials said.

“Every address in Bristol Township remains inside an assigned primary volunteer fire district,” Township Manager Randee Mazur said last month. “No neighborhood is left without a primary company.”

At the county level, 9-1-1 officials have already prepared the dispatch system for seamless cutover.

“In the case of Newportville, nothing changes in the immediate as they were provided a 30-day window to complete the ‘wind down’ process documented in their charter,” said John Geib, Bucks County’s director of emergency communications. “During that time frame, our department will work with Bristol Township to develop and enter new pre-plans for the township based on the four remaining fire departments in the township. Those updates will be loaded and ready before the conclusion of the 30-day window. The transition to the new pre-plans takes seconds to perform in the CAD system.”

With Newportville removed from the roster after what township officials have said is years of management challenges, including the arrest of a former chief, and missed calls, municipal fire tax funds will be redistributed. Fire company officials said they have improved operations.

Bristol Township Councilmember Joe Glasson told LevittownNow.com that the four remaining volunteer fire companies will divide Newportville’s former share of fire tax revenue. The change is expected to yield approximately $50,000 in additional annual funding for each of the remaining stations.

One question centers on what happens to Newportville’s assets, which were funded in part by taxpayer money.

The future of the company’s equipment, including its trucks, protective gear, rescue boat, and firehouses on Bath and New Falls roads, remains uncertain.

Cummings said he didn’t have information on the future of the fire company or its equipment and property.

“Those are matters that we are still evaluating,” he said.

According to the fire company’s IRS Form 990 filing for 2025, the nonprofit reported $1 million in assets, $396,236 in revenue, and $149,739 in loans for a facility and truck.

The Volunteer Firemens’ Relief Association of Newportville, which is linked to the fire company and received $69,207 in tax money in 2024, reported to have $159,471 in cash and investments as of Dec. 31, 2024, according to the Pennsylvania Auditor General’s Office.

Cummings thanked local residents and businesses for supporting the organization throughout its 99-year history.

“Regardless of what happens next, the members of Newportville Fire Company are proud of the service we have provided to this community, and we will continue to serve our neighbors for as long as we are called upon to do so,” he said.