Lower Saucon Fire Rescue has grown to include four formerly independent volunteer fire companies: Se-Wy-Co, Leithsville, Southeastern and now Steel City. All four Lower Saucon fire stations remain in use, including the Se-Wy-Co station off Rt. 378, pictured above. (FILE PHOTO)
A little over 10 years ago there were four independent fire companies based in Lower Saucon Township, but following several mergers there is now only one. What hasn’t changed is the dedication of the township’s volunteer firefighters, who continue to use all four fire stations.
The final component of the consolidation effort was the merger of Steel City Volunteer Fire Company with Lower Saucon Fire Rescue, which occurred recently.
In the works for some time, the finalizing of the merger was announced in a Feb. 18 Facebook post on the Lower Saucon Fire Rescue page.
“The departments are proud of our combined 175 years of service to the community, as our history and foundation have been and will continue to be essential building blocks for success,” the post said.
It also noted that when the former Se-Wy-Co and Leithsville fire companies merged in 2012, they became the first fire companies in Northampton County to complete such a merger. In 2016, Se-Wy-Co and Southeastern Volunteer Fire Company merged to create Lower Saucon Fire Rescue, which continues to operate out of the fire stations that previously headquartered the independent companies.
The Facebook announcement noted that Lower Saucon Fire Rescue will continue to serve the community from the four stations now under its command, which are located off Rt. 378, Leithsville Road (Rt. 412), Wassergass Road and Riverside Drive, respectively.
“As with any merger of two organizations, there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work which has been in the process for months,” the announcement said. “Several committees have been meeting to ensure the combination of all the financial, training and service records as well as working to plan the operating guidelines of the organization.”
For additional information about Lower Saucon Fire Rescue, visit LowerSauconFire.org or email in**@lo*************.org. Follow the fire company on Facebook to receive regular updates and learn more about volunteer opportunities.