Philadelphia Fire Department receives $22 million grant to reopen three fire companies across the city
PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Fire Department released a statement Friday announcing it has received a $22.4 million federal grant to help reopen three fire companies that were closed for nearly 15 years.
Engine 6, Ladder 1 and Ladder 11 will reopen to serve neighborhoods including Kensington, Fishtown, Port Richmond, Fairmount, Spring Garden, Francisville, East Passyunk and South Philly.
The exact timeline for when each unit will be restored is still in the developing stage, according to city officials.
"This critical funding will enable us to strengthen emergency response in communities that have seen huge growth in recent years," said Fire Commissioner Adam K. Thiel.
Due to reopening the three companies, Thiel explains there will be an increase of the fire department’s overall capacity in turn, providing service across the city 24/7.
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The fire department was awarded the grant in September by the Federal Emergency Management Agency through its competitive program known as SAFER – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response.
The Philadelphia Fire Department says it will use the funds to hire, train and pay 72 firefighters and EMTs for three years. After the three years, the personnel costs are to be covered by the City of Philadelphia.
"The Fire Department responds at a moment’s notice to all types of emergencies -- from house fires and gas leaks to car accidents, medical calls and building collapses," said Mayor Jim Kenney. "Putting these companies back in service is the right thing to do for our residents, visitors and businesses."
Engine 6 (2601 Belgrade St.), Ladder 1 (16th & Parrish) and Ladder 11 (12th & Reed) were among seven companies deactivated on January 5, 2009 during the recession. According to the Fireman’s Hall Museum, all had been in service for more than a century.
The other four companies closed in 2009 – Engine 1 (South Philly/Center City), Engine 8 (Old City), Engine 14 (Frankford) and Engine 39 (Roxborough) – were restored in 2019, thanks to a SAFER grant.
The Philadelphia Fire Department responded to about 880 emergency incidents per day in 2023, for an annual total of nearly 53,000 fire incidents and more than 268,000 EMS incidents.