City Council Hears Arguments on Fire Station

Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan would like to see North Central Fire Station on Dewberry Avenue closed and begin converting the building into an EMS station before the end of the year.

But that target is dependent somewhat, he says, upon an arbitration ruling with the city’s firefighter’s union, as well as city council’s approval to divert funds earmarked for a new EMS station to the conversion project.

Callahan and his administrators Thursday night presented its proposal for closing the 201 Dewberry Ave. station and converting it into an EMS unit. It would include improvements to the existing EMS unit at Broad Street and Stefko Boulevard and likely to the Easton Avenue fire station, which would cover part of the North Central area.

Council’s public safety committee, which cannot vote on closing the station built in 1965, heard three hours of discussion from the administration, from firefighters and the public.  

Firefighters IAFF Local 735, which is opposed to reducing the city’s fire stations from 5 to 4,urged council to “do what is right for the citizens of Bethlehem,” and keep the station open. Firefighters said that response time to fires, bomb threats, water rescue, hazardous materials handling, pumping details and other disasters would increase if coverage was reassigned to the Easton Avenue and Catasauqua Road stations. Public safety would be compromised, they said.

They pointed out that population growth in an area that includes “some of the newest, largest and most expensive homes” necessitates adding services, not reducing them.

Rather than build a nearly $1.7 million EMS headquarters on illicks Mill Road, Callahan says his plan would cost $325,000. Paramedic services would be split between two sites to serve the city’s North and South sides. Fire department response time to most areas in the North Central coverage area would not increase by much, the administration contends.

Council, in a 5 to 2 vote eight months ago, to build a new, nearly $1.7 million EMS station, and that increase has raised about $1.2 million thus far. Callahan said that through his plan, the capital savings would be available for a $1.8 million upgrade to 911 in 2012. Council would have to reallocate the funds.

Among those speaking in favor of keeping North Central open, were Jennifer and William Henry, who urged council to “take the human factor into consideration.” North Central firefighters responded to a Wednesday. If not for the Dewberry Avenue station, the damage “could have been much worse, “Henry said. “An additional 36 seconds response time could have made a substantial difference,” his wife noted.  

Other residents opposed to shuttering the station suggested scaling back the size and cost of a new EMS site; consider insurance cost increases to homeowners and renters, as well as risks to historic buildings, including Illicks Mill, and reducing fire department overtime expenditures.

Callahan’s presentation cited the growing impact of firefighter salary increases, sick leave and overtime on the city’s budget. The average firefighter salary is $73,500, he said. While the city has seen a decline in fires over the years, overtime and mandatory staffing has been the “main driver” of budgetary costs. Overtime costs for 2011 are projected at $850,000, he said. The city, which is in arbitration with the union, wants to reduce the minimum manning requirement of 22 firefighters per shift.

One resident suggested using part-time or substitute firefighters, while another said that if a small group of firefighters is abusing the system, the rest of the firefighters and the city “should not pay a penalty.”

While most council members agreed that the proposal and testimony presents difficult decisions, public safety committee chairman David DiGiacinto said closing the fire house is a management decision. “I’m concerned about overtime and sick leave. We struggled with the budget.  I’d like to understand what it takes to open up a new fire station. What is the driving factor?”