East Lansdowne Borough Council voted Monday night to close its 114-year-old volunteer fire company, writes Brendan Brightman and Johnny Archer for NBC 10 Philadelphia.
“It’s an emotional time,” said Deputy Chief Steve Castellano, who joined the company 21 years ago as a cadet at age 14. “It’s not really about me, but the history of the organization. The number of people we’ve had over the years of 114 years of service.”
The company was forced to close due to a lack of funds and volunteers. There are only five members currently serving.
“When I joined in 2004, we had 30 to 35 active members, easily, in the fire company,” Castellano said.
Borough Mayor Majovie Bland said taxes would have to be raised 60 percent to cover part-time operations at the firehouse. The company is asking for about $120,000 a year to stay open.
The fire station serves more than 2,700 people who live in East Lansdowne.
An existing fire tax will now be used to pay neighboring fire departments to respond to emergency calls. Lansdowne, Yeadon, and Cardington Stonehurst fire companies are located about a mile away.
The East Lansdowne Fire Company will cease operations on Dec. 31, 2025.
Read more about the closing of the East Lansdowne Fire Company at NBC 10 Philadelphia.
