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The township and century-plus-old station are at odds over several things. (PETE BANNAN \u2013 DAILY TIMES)<\/p>\nAn Upper Darby fire station says it\u2019s putting the firehouse up for sale, adding, \u201cThere is no long-term role for our station as an active volunteer firehouse.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is the latest development involving the township fire service in the sixth-most-populous municipality in Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n
The leadership at Upper Darby Fire Company No. 1, 7241 West Chester Pike, also known as Station 37 for dispatching purposes, added, \u201cAfter years of evaluation and in light of recent developments, we are listing our fire station.\u201d<\/p>\n
The leadership said the reasons are a new \u201ccomplex reimbursement-based system for operating expenses\u201d that forces the station to pay costs upfront then be reimbursed; more career firefighters stationed there, \u201cwhich leaves little opportunity for volunteer participation or growth\u201d; \u201cour station has only one operational fire truck, which further makes recruiting and retaining firefighters near impossible\u201d; and that the township had been advised to enter into a lease agreement with its fire stations but not Station 1 because renovations would be too expensive.<\/p>\n
The township said that volunteerism there barely exists.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe township would like to assure residents that we will take all measures necessary to ensure continued fire protection out of this firehouse and that these events in no way represent a threat or compromise to public safety. There will continue to be staffed fire apparatus operating out of 7241 West Chester Pike \u2026 protecting the community 24\/7.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Upper Darby Township Fire Department remains a combination fire department where volunteers will supplement career staffing when available. We value volunteer firefighters and encourage their participation. However, volunteer participation at Station 37 has been minimal over a sustained period. In fact, Station 37 has only seven operational volunteer members on its roster. Of those members, in 2025 only one volunteer from Station 37 met the department\u2019s minimum participation for active status, \u2018which is responding to 10% of station calls.\u2019 \u201c<\/p>\n
The township also denies that the new expenses process is onerous, saying, \u201cUnfortunately, to date, the township has received extremely limited engagement from some volunteer companies regarding these processes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Township spokesman Rob Ellis said that the fire company can sell the building. It\u2019s not clear what steps will be next.<\/p>\n
The township and century-plus-old station are at odds over several things. (PETE BANNAN \u2013 DAILY TIMES)<\/p>\n
\u201cFor more than a century, Upper Darby Fire Company No. 1 has stood ready to serve,\u201d the station said. \u201cGenerations of our volunteer firefighters have answered the call at all hours, protecting our neighbors and supporting our community.<\/p>\n
\u201cListing the building for sale allows us to preserve what remains of our organization\u2019s legacy and transition to a new mission,\u201d the station said. \u201cOur remaining priorities will be ensuring that we are able to help support our approximately 100 past and current volunteer members and other volunteer organizations in Delaware County.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not the outcome we would have chosen. For over 110 years, Fire Company No. 1 has been an important part of the fabric of Upper Darby. But continuing under the current conditions would jeopardize both our financial stability and our ability to honor the commitments we have made to those who served before us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The township added: \u201cUpper Darby Township remains fully supportive of its volunteer fire associations and values their historic contributions. However, that support must be balanced with responsible fiscal oversight and modern public safety standards.\u201d<\/p>\n