READING, Pa. – We met up with Reading Fire Chief James Stoudt at one of his favorite places in the city, the Firefighters Museum on South Fifth Street.
The building used to be the Liberty Fire Station, just steps away from where Stoudt grew up.
“I was born and raised two doors away here on Fifth Street,” Stoudt said. “Just being a firehouse kid, always over here having lunch with my father and hanging out with the members.”
James Stoudt was officially sworn in as Reading’s fire chief on May 9, 2022.
Jack Reinhard | 69 News
Stoudt joined the Reading Fire Department in 1993 and took over as Fire Chief in 2022, following his cousin, William Stoudt.
“I wanted to be a firefighter in Reading,” he said. “Never thought in a million years that I would ever become and retire as the fire chief. It never even crossed my mind.”
Stoudt says some of the toughest calls weren’t always the biggest fires, but the ones that threatened entire blocks of homes.
“When you have fires in row homes and you get there and you’re looking at fire coming out of two or three windows on the second or third floor,” he said, “and you’re looking at the houses next to it and five or six houses down, that’s when it becomes a real challenge.”
Now, as he prepares to retire, Stoudt says he’s not stepping away completely.
“I’ll still continue to work part-time at the Berks County Fire Training Center,” he said. “I’ve got a list of stuff to get done around the house… and I want to be able to do a little bit more traveling.”
Stoudt is being honored for his service during Monday’s Reading City Council meeting.