Before a packed audience comprised mostly of the 67 firefighters from Lower Saucon Fire Rescue Co. #16 (LSFR), the township council Wednesday night instructed its municipal solicitor to draft a resolution designating "Number 16" the township's official all-volunteer fire department.
Council's backing of LSFR followed a presentation by its president and fire chief outlining their company's speedy response times to dispatch calls, in addition to the 716 fire calls it undertook in 2020.
The current LSFR is a merged organization, the result of the combination of the former Se-Wy-Co, Leithsville, and Southeastern fire companies. It now has $5.5 million in annual expenses, and is allotted $150,000 yearly from council, funded by taxpayers.
According to its leaders, LSFR is currently the largest volunteer fire department in Northampton County.