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Lionville Fire Company treasurer outlines rising call volume, staffing and funding pressures
Summary
Lee Ruth, treasurer of Lionville Fire Company, told the Uwchlan board the department handled roughly 677–700 calls and detailed volunteer-training burdens, rising apparatus costs, fundraising levels and funding sources tied to municipal contributions and a statutory relief-association tax.
Lee Ruth, treasurer of the Lionville Fire Company, told the Uwchlan Township Board of Supervisors that the volunteer fire company's call volume, staffing demands and equipment costs have all risen in recent years.
Ruth said the company and a separate relief association together support operations and capital needs. He described the relief association as funded in part by a state tax on foreign fire insurance policies and regulated by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office. "We're a little over 700 calls for the year," he said, adding the company was at about 677 calls "as of today" in the earlier slides and that 2024 appears on pace for a similar level.
Ruth outlined membership and training: the company averages about 50 active members, including junior firefighters (ages 16'18) and fire police. He said it takes roughly 250 hours of training to reach interior firefighter status and that outfitting a new interior firefighter costs "a little right around $5,000." He also said turnout per incident is typically about eight volunteers and that rising demands and long apparatus lead times complicate capital planning: "Since 2015, the cost of an apparatus has increased almost 200%" and build lead times now approach three years.
Ruth summarized the company's financing: municipalities' contributions and fundraising support day-to-day operations, and capital equipment is funded via an annual fund drive (average about $150,000 raised over the last five years). He noted the company bills for some responses (for example, on the Pennsylvania Turnpike) and uses rental income from a leased space to supplement revenues.
Board members asked whether changing land use and industrial development will require additional equipment or training. Ruth said the strategy for responding would not necessarily change dramatically but identified aging membership and higher-acuity needs (such as taller buildings and senior care facilities) as growing demands. No formal funding decisions were made at the workshop; Ruth suggested continued discussions with township staff on long-term capital and staffing needs.
The fire company provided handouts and a municipal statistics report for board review and offered to supply more detailed accounting data upon request.
