‘We’re just asking you to step up’: Bethlehem firefighters press City Council to address staffing concerns | Bethlehem Area

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Bethlehem City Council member Grace Crampsie Smith knows the impact of having a firefighter in the family.

When she was 8, her life was forever changed when her firefighter father experienced a life-threatening health event during a call.

“First responders risk their lives every day for us, and we must give them the support and staffing they need,” Crampsie Smith said.

During public comment on Tuesday, she urged adding four firefighters to the 2026 budget as well as promoting four firefighters.

“The amount of mandatory overtime is killing them,” she said.

She spoke to a room of firefighters and their families, who showed up to urge council to increase budget allowances for the fire department to hire more firefighters.

“We’re not asking much; we’re just asking you to step up,” firefighter Jon Ruhf said.

Lou Jimenez, president of Bethlehem Firefighters IAFF Local 735, said the department is operating in a “staffing crisis.”

“We’re doing it with less staff than 30 years ago when Bethlehem looked very different than the city that we see today,” he said.

The department responds not only to fires but to hazardous material spills and rescues and building collapses, among other emergencies.

“We cannot meet these challenges without adequate staffing. It’s not a luxury; it’s a necessity,” Jimenez said. “No one is expected to protect 2025 Bethlehem with 1970s numbers.”

His wife, Rosemary, said she watches her husband and his colleagues navigate the strain.

“Every shift, I watch my husband leave home not knowing what he will face and how thin his crew will be,” she said. “The fear of losing one of our firefighters is real. If Bethlehem were to lose a firefighter, the devastation would be immeasurable.”

Speakers said firefighters are continually asked to “do more with less.” For instance, fire engines and ladder trucks routinely have fewer than four firefighters, which is the National Fire Protection Association’s recommended standard.

Fire Chief Matthew Griffin said three firefighters staff fire engines and ladders have two. Similarly, a higher-ranking officer is currently overseeing three stations, including the Northwest station on Catasauqua Avenue, when there should be one officer for every station.

According to the 2026 proposed budget, the city spent roughly $1.2 million on overtime in 2024. For 2025, overtime is projected at $500,000.

Business Administrator Eric Evans fielded questions from council. Councilmember Hillary Kwiatek asked whether keeping positions open helps balance the budget.

Evans said positions are filled as they become available, but the application and academy process is lengthy.

“Once someone is going to retire, it could be a year or more before we can replace them,” Fire Chief Griffin said.

Sending a recruit to the academy costs about $20,000, officials said; the 2026 budget includes $300,000 for 15 new firefighters.

When employees leave, salaries decrease and overtime rises, Evans said.

“I think we’re budgeted appropriately,” he said. “We continue to make large investments in all three of our public safety sectors: police, fire and EMS.”

Griffin said the department is staffed to its budgeted complement of 106 firefighters but remains concerned about overtime.

“There’s no fire chief in the United States that wouldn’t take more staff,” he said.

The discussion also touched on a comprehensive study the city is pursuing to analyze call volume, staffing and paramedic responses. Evans said the city is reviewing proposals from consultants. Mayor J. William Reynolds said seven responses were received and that staffing is only one aspect of the study.

According to Evans, the selection committee hopes to recommend a consultant in early 2026.

Officials said the upcoming study differs from recent assessments by the Professional Fire Fighters and the International Association of Fire Fighters, which focused primarily on staffing.

According to that data, the city is facing staffing shortages that some say raise coverage concerns.

Councilmember Bryan Callahan said turnout at Tuesday’s meeting underscored those concerns.

“Why do we need our study? Our study showed up here tonight. All we do is spend money on studies and consultants,” Callahan said.

Griffin has previously stated: “We are currently operating within our budget-approved staffing guidelines. The results of a proposed comprehensive study will help the city determine the proper allocation of fire and EMS resources. The city is currently in the process of reviewing proposals for that independent study.”

Following Tuesday’s discussion, Bethlehem City Council voted on several ordinances related to the 2026 budget. Councilmembers Crampsie Smith and Bryan Callahan voted no on measures involving the general fund and fire budgets, saying they want to propose adding firefighters.

Councilmembers encouraged the public to attend a budget discussion at 6 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, where the fire department will be discussed along with police and community and economic development.