Firefighters urge restoration of officer at Engine Company 9; city to evaluate consultant proposals for department study

Firefighters told council they want a dedicated company‑level officer at Engine Company 9 to provide on‑scene leadership and mentoring for new personnel, while the city said it is reviewing consultant proposals for a broader fire/EMS staffing and deployment study.

Kyle Dalton, a Bethlehem firefighter and treasurer of the Bethlehem Firefighters Association, said engine company 9 is operating without a supervisor and that restoring an officer position would "improve on‑scene leadership, strengthening the span of control and support" for recruits. Dalton told council that 32 of 72 firefighters have less than two years’ experience and that the department expects to hire 15 recruits next year; he urged the public‑safety committee to examine restoring the officer position.

Fire Chief Griffin explained current operations: Engine Company 9 (located on Catasauqua Road, serving the northwest portion of the city) is regularly staffed with two firefighters and does not have a dedicated officer on site. "The officer who works out of Company 6, which is located on Broad Street, covers Company 6’s territory as well as the territory for Engine Company 9," the chief said. When dispatched, the covering officer responds to the first incident and is considered committed to that call; if multiple incidents occur simultaneously, another officer must be assigned to cover the subsequent call.

Council and administration described a multi‑month process to issue an RFP for a comprehensive fire/EMS study that covers staffing, deployment, apparatus, facilities and response patterns. City staff said they received multiple proposals (seven responses) and planned an internal review in November, followed by interviews of finalists on Dec. 10–11. The city asked respondents to propose a time frame; the RFP requested completion in approximately five months but city staff said that timeline might be discussed during finalist interviews to balance speed and comprehensiveness.

City administration and the fire department said the study’s scope is broader than a union‑commissioned staffing report and will consider deployment, equipment and facility needs in addition to staffing. The administration said the consultant selection and contract will be presented to council for approval and that work would occur in 2026, depending on contracting and scope.