Bristol plans to combine four fire companies under one roof – Bucks Round-Up – March 19, 2026
Bristol plans to combine four fire companies under one roof
Bristol is closer to building a $6 million fire station where four of its fire companies will merge. The borough recently acquired $3.7 million in federal and state grants for the planned project. No site has been selected at this time, but one official said the funding will kickstart the project, beginning with site selection and design. The project will make possible the longstanding desire to merge Bristol Fire, American Hose, Hook and Ladder, Goodwill Hose, and Bristol Consolidated Volunteer companies. For many years, Bristol, a 1.7 square-mile community, was served by five separate fire companies; now there are four. A new fire station will consolidate the fire service and help them address the problem of recruiting volunteers. Also on the table is accommodation for the Bucks County Rescue Squad in the new facility. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-01), presented a $2 million federal grant, coupled with state funds provided by State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-Doylestown) and State Representative Tina Davis (D-Bristol) for the total $3.7 million.
Consumer alert from Bucks Consumer Protection Deptartment
Scams come and go, according to Bucks County’s Consumer Protection agency. They may be emerging scams, but they’ve emerged before, Consumer Protection’s Mike Bannon said. The “Distraint” scam, directed at citizens and businesses, is making the rounds again. Here’s how it works: A letter will arrive in an official-looking envelope from the “Benefits Suspension Unit, Bucks County Public Judgment Records” and say in boldface, “Immediate Action Required.” There is no Bucks County Benefits Suspension Unit. The letter inside claims to be from the Tax Processing Unit, Bucks County Public Judgment Records, which is also nonexistent. The heading claims the notice is a “Distraint Warrant,” a legal term related to the IRS’ power to levy unpaid taxes. It looks official, but it is a sophisticated scare tactic that attempts to scam the victim into calling a toll-free number that gives the impression it is legitimate communication.
Bensalem School District facing a multimillion-dollar deficit
The Bensalem Board of School Directors has their work cut out for it. Unless the board can come up with new sources of revenue and savings, a tax increase could be on the horizon. John Steffy, head of business operations, sounded the alarm and offered hope at the first public budget workshop earlier this month. He explained that the school district’s total expenditure is about $204 million, without any reductions. On a brighter note, he said the district found over $5 million worth of suggested cuts that were built into the proposed budget, but none have been voted on, so far. The cuts would bring costs down to about $198.7 million, leaving the district with an $11.7 million unfilled gap. But, he said, the school district will likely raise taxes 4.2 percent next year, reaching the state’s annual tax hike cap, to generate another $4.5 million, while leaving about $7.1 million unaccounted for. However, the district hopes to cut the deficit through debt service reduction and bond restructuring, decreasing the shortfall by approximately $7 million, allowing the district to extend payments for a longer period, he added.
Pat Wandling is a veteran journalist, formerly of the Bucks County Courier, and was a mainstay on WBCB for over 20 years.
