Whitehall, PA: Bureau of Fire

The Whitehall Township Bureau of Fire is also called by the locals as the Whitehall Fire Department. It is a part of the town’s public service, specifically providing fire protection services to the whole Township of Whitehall in Lehigh County, in the state of Pennsylvania. Actually, the fire department is a Township Bureau, pretty much similar to that of Public Works and the Police Department. It is headed and administered by a “Bureau Chief,” who in turn reports to the Township Mayor, the Deputy Mayor, and the Board of Commissioners.

Composition

The department is currently made up of five fire stations scattered all over Whitehall, Pennsylvania. To be specific, they are located in the original villages that made up Whitehall Township. This includes Egypt, Fullerton, West Catasauqua, Hokendauqua, and Cementon.

Excluding the Fire Chief, all the personnel in the Bureau are volunteers. But the position of Bureau Chief was actually classified as volunteer, too, at least until 1986. The reason why it was transitioned into a “paid” position is because the demands of the job became greater because of the rapidly increasing population in the township. Aside from responding to fire calls 24/7, the fire chief is also responsible of tending to the different businesses of running the department all day long.

Day-To-Day Operations

The fire department volunteers are on call, 24 hours each day. There are also weekly trainings that take place every Monday evening, beginning at 7 pm. The volunteers will be dispatched by the Lehigh County 911 Communications Center. In some instances and when situations call for it, the department also provides aid and response to nearby municipalities and towns, including South and North Whitehall, Coplay, Catasauqua, and Allentown.

Every member of the Fire Bureau in Whitehall Pennsylvania spend hundreds of hours every year doing fire prevention programs in different schools, nursing homes, and day cares all across town. The annual school fire prevention program happens every October during the Fire Prevention Month. The department makes it a point to never fail to deliver the message and importance of fire safety especially to young kids. In fact, just recently, they purchased a fire safety trailer, the purpose of which is to improve the educational experience of young residents towards the proper response to fire in their respective homes.

There’s also a fundraising program geared towards helping the department. It is performed at both the department and station levels, throughout the Whitehall Township Active Volunteer Firefighter’s Association. The bureau’s biggest annual fundraising event, the Haunted Parkway, happens every weekend in the month of October.

Whitehall Township Active Volunteer Firefighters Association

The Firefighter’s Association is composed of all the active members of the Bureau. The association is responsible for the fundraising activities of the department. Likewise, it comes with the mandate of providing assistance to different departmental activities and programs.

Whitehall Township Firefighter’s Relief Association

Meanwhile, another association called the Firefighter’s Relief Association is a separate legal entity from the Department. Its duty is to manage the funds which are audited and distributed by the State. The funds are intended for purchasing accident and sickness insurance including personnel safety equipment.