The Briarcliffe Fire Company is disbanding following racist comments made in 2022 by its firefighters, but the fire station will see new life as a Delaware County Community Resource Center, writes Kathleen E. Carey for the Daily Times.

Delaware County Council unanimously agreed to buy the Darby Township building at 767 Beech Ave, for $705,000.

The center, which would store vital supplies, is needed in the southeast part of the county, said Emergency Services Director Timothy Boyce. 

“During the pandemic, obviously we struggled very much with the storage of PPE (personal protective gear), getting materials out to our community members and we still struggle with storing material,” he said.

The building would serve as a warehouse and distribution facility in partnership with the health department, and as offices, meeting, and training space, Boyce said.

It can also serve as an education space for the community and as an operations point for the Medical Reserve Corps and volunteers.

 “I feel like this is a really multi-use space in a community in a part of the county where a lot of these services are demanded,” Councilwoman Elaine Paul Schaefer said.

Read more about purchasing the Briarcliffe fire station at the Daily Times.