Lower Saucon talks of expanding fire service with nearly $15 million station, more

• Lower Saucon officials are looking into what it would take to expand fire services
• This could include a nearly $15 million new fire station in the heart of the township
• It would also involve the sale of two substations and part of another

LOWER SAUCON TWP., Pa. — The fire force in Lower Saucon is looking to expand its reach with plans to potentially build a nearly $15 million fire station in the township’s center at Polk Valley.

Among those possibilities, there are tentative plans to sell off two of the substations and part of one more to help in funding the new project.

Expanded services

Tyson Johnson, chief of Lower Saucon Fire and Rescue, said the service responsibilities of the fire force are ever-changing.

The force responded to 792 calls in 2022 and over 5,200 over the past four years.

Considering those numbers, officials are requesting help from the township.

“A majority of the firehouses in Lower Saucon Township have some pretty good age on them, and we’re rapidly growing the needs of these fire stations,” Johnson said. “Not to mention the trucks themselves are a lot different than the trucks were in the 60s and 70s.”

A capital plan

The township has four fire stations:

• Se-Wy-Co Station at 3621 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bethlehem (built in 1890)
• Leithsville Station at 1995 Leithsville Road, Hellertown (built in 2012)
• Southeastern Station at 2687 Wassergass Road, Hellertown (built in 1959)
• Steel City Station at 2121 Riverside Drive, Bethlehem (built in 1986)

Township council back on March 22 voted to establish the Lower Saucon Township Fire Services Capital Plan Subcommittee, with the goal of reviewing current fire equipment, real estate and more to come up with a five-year capital plan to address the needs of the fire force. That subcommittee is made up of fire officials, township staff, first responders and local citizens.

Thomas Carocci, member of the township council as well as liaison to the fire services committee, said having a glimpse into the future of the fire force is crucial for its longevity.

“It’s meant to be a long-term plan,” Carocci said. “This is also meant to just be a starting point.

“We wanted to get some things on paper to present to council and the public for comment.”

Lower Saucon Fire and Rescue alongside the Steel City Volunteer Fire Co. joined to make Lower Saucon Fire Rescue back in the spring of 2023.

The possibilities

According to the presentation presented at Wednesday’s meeting, fire officials are looking into selling the Se-Wy-Co and Leithsville stations, selling the land around the Southeastern Station, and possibly donating part of the facility in Steel City for potential township and citizen use.

The fire company has solicited a non-official property valuation on the sales of the stations and property previously mentioned, showing an estimated value of $6.2 million. Those funds, if later approved for use, would cover some of the incurred expenses for the substation updates and brand-new main station, all estimated to run around $15.5 million.

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Lower Saucon Township

A new fire station in the heart of the township

The new Polk Valley Main Station would likely be around 22,000 square feet, with construction cost estimates of $480 per square foot, according to documents presented on Wednesday.

That would put the main building at $10,560,000, requiring an estimated $1 million for electricity and plumbing amenities, another $1 million to fit out the building and about an 18% contingency fee for the engineering and inspection process.

It would have the estimated final cost of the new Polk Valley Station at $14,820,800.

The facility is envisioned to feature six truck bays, offices, a dayroom-kitchen, bathrooms and showers, conference and training rooms, a police substation, as well as other amenities for parking, an elevator, and an emergency generator.

The Se-Wy-Co Station could be sold to help fund the construction of the new main station, according to township documents. Officials would be looking to build another substation at the Town Hall Complex on Old Philadelphia Pike.

The Leithsville Substation could also be sold to help fund the new, larger project.

Other substations

Part of the property at the Southeastern Station could be used for fire purposes, while the rest could be sold.

The two new substations and upgrades at the Steel City facility would run an estimated $700,000.

The two-bay pole building at Steel City would continue seeing use as the new fire substation, with the social hall on-site being rented for township residents as well as parks and recreation programming. The township public service workers could use the garages as a storage area.

Project funding

The township currently has $9.3 million in township reserve funds, according to Council President Jason Banonis. Along with that, there’s $418,000 or so in relief funds, as well as revenues coming in projected to provide $1.5 million in surplus.

Banonis said the township could take $3.15 million of the restricted reserve funds, along with $100,000 in relief fund money and half of the projected surplus money coming in to help fund the work.

He said that would leave the township with about $4 million earmarked for the project alongside the 40% of funding from the fire company property sales.

The fire force is also eyeing a variety of “highly competitive” grant opportunities, where they’ll be competing against thousands of other departments for funding.

“I think we have an opportunity here because of Lower Saucon Fire and Rescue’s willingness to share their resources for something that’s for the greater good, and also the township’s willingness to share its resources for the greater good,” Banonis said.