Williamsport approves fire services agreement to station two city firefighters in South Williamsport

Williamsport City Council on Thursday approved an intergovernmental fire services agreement under which the Williamsport Bureau of Fire will provide response and support to South Williamsport Borough, including box alarms, vehicle accidents, tactical alarms, hazardous‑materials calls, limited fire prevention and certain emergency‑management services.

The agreement calls for two Williamsport firefighters to staff South Williamsport’s station during assigned shifts using the borough’s apparatus. “We would be, providing, response to box alarms, basically, all of their calls,” the city’s fire chief said during the presentation. The chief and other city staff said the arrangement is daytime only, seven days a week, and would not create full 24/7 city staffing in the borough.

City staff and a consultant from PFM described how the fee was calculated. The initial figures drew on DCED (state) guidance based on call volume and assessed/housing values and were adjusted to include overtime, apparatus‑use, fuel and maintenance. The chief clarified the city will not hire new full‑time personnel to cover the assignment; when a platoon has eight on duty the department will offer overtime to secure a ninth person and then send two personnel to South Williamsport. “We would not be hiring,” the chief said; instead, overtime shifts and on‑duty assignments will be used.

Council members pressed for a monitoring plan. One councilor asked staff to “set your calendar for a year from now” and return with data showing how often city apparatus responded, how many hours city personnel were stationed in South Williamsport and the share of calls responded to by Williamsport units. City staff agreed to track usage, costs and staffing outcomes and to supply the requested report.

Council approved the agreement unanimously, 5‑0. Supporters described the memorandum as a step toward regionalizing emergency services where volunteer staffing is declining; opponents did not speak during the meeting. The chief emphasized the city’s role is assistance, not takeover: “We are there to provide assistance,” he said.

The agreement includes limited ancillary services such as Knox Box program coordination, extinguisher training, juvenile fire‑setting prevention programming and assistance with preplans for schools and day‑care facilities. The city will also provide origin‑and‑cause fire investigations and collaborate on ISO‑rating and grant efforts where appropriate.

Council asked staff to continue tracking expenses and usage to ensure revenue covers costs and to inform future regionalization efforts.