MISSION STATEMENT
To serve our community with highly trained and educated personnel providing quality service that protects our citizens, the environment and the economic vitality.
The Williamsport Bureau of Fire welcomes you to our web site. The Bureau of Fire serves the City of Williamsport which serves as the county seat for Lycoming County, PA. The City is located in the north central part of the state along the west branch of the Susquehanna River. The City encompasses over nine square miles and has a permanent population of approximately 30,000 residents as well as nine-thousand college students. The Bureau of Fire is a career fire department with a staff of 38 sworn personnel.
The Williamsport Bureau of Fire was organized in 1874 and has served as the only career fire department in Lycoming County.
The Bureau is comprised of two divisions; Operations and Prevention. The services provided by these two divisions include, but are not limited to, fire suppression, vehicle rescue, water rescue, technical rescue, emergency medical quick response, fire inspections, fire investigations, public fire safety education, emergency management administration and operations, as well as preparedness education.
The Bureau of Fire operates with a four platoon system with one platoon chief and 7 firefighters assigned to a platoon. Currently over 90% of our personnel are Fire Fighter I certified.
The front line assignment for the Bureau is two engines, one 100 foot ladder tower and a command vehicle. A minimum of seven personnel are on duty at all times. In addition to the front line of apparatus other equipment includes two reserve pumpers, one rescue boat, a utility truck and two staff vehicles for administrative staff.
The Bureau has several members trained in specialty areas. All personnel are trained in surface water rescue and rescue boat operations. In addition we have an underwater search and rescue team. There are six members of the Bureau who are part of the Pennsylvania Urban Search & Rescue Team Squad 2 and several members who are part of the Lycoming County Technical Rescue and Hazardous Materials Decontamination teams.
The Bureau formed an alliance with Old Lycoming Township Volunteer Fire Company on September 19, 1999. Old Lycoming provides all equipment including one engine and living quarters. The Bureau provides the staffing of two personnel 24-7, and is supplemented with volunteers who meet the Bureau's requirements. In the event of a greater alarm fire Old Lycoming Fire Company makes all of their manpower and apparatus available to the City. In turn the City responds an engine on all calls in the township.
In 2004 the Bureau was given the responsibility of administering emergency management for the City. The Bureau is responsible for the implementation of the National Incident Management System for the City, maintaining the City emergency operations plan, two emergency operations centers, six early warning sirens, and the training of all emergency operations center personnel.
