Neighboring Plumstead Township swore in its first career firefighters Thursday, becoming the latest Bucks County community to add paid crews as volunteer ranks thin across the region.
Rachel Brick, Benjamin Morris and Daniel Pfeiffer took the oath Aug. 13 at the Plumstead Township building, officially launching the Plumstead Township Fire and Rescue Department. A fourth hire, Harley Turner, was unable to attend and will be sworn in at a future meeting. Bucks County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey G. Trauger, a lifelong Plumstead resident whose late mother served in the Plumsteadville Volunteer Fire Company Auxiliary, administered the oath.
Four fire helmets labeled "Plumstead 257 Fire Rescue" and a Bible sat on the table as the firefighters were pinned.
The crew began weekday shifts the same day out of Plumsteadville Fire Station 24 at 5064 Stump Rd. in Pipersville. Hours run Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the window when volunteer companies have the hardest time mustering members who are at their own jobs. The department may also respond outside Plumstead through mutual-aid agreements, potentially bringing career crews into neighboring communities.
Fire Chief William Wiegman leads the department under Public Safety Director David Mettin. Wiegman resigned as Montgomery Township's fire chief effective Jan. 2 and was sworn in as Plumstead's first full-time chief in April.
"This is an exciting milestone for our township and the fire service community," Wiegman said at the ceremony. "We look forward to working closely with our township volunteers, mutual aid departments, public safety partners, and our community as we begin this new chapter."
The department supplements but does not replace Plumstead's volunteer companies: Plumsteadville, Point Pleasant and Dublin. Operational agreements between the township and those companies have not yet been signed, according to the Lower Bucks Times.
What it costs Plumstead taxpayers
The Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted Ordinance 2026-04 on July 8, formally creating the department. Board Chairman Matt Given called it a major step toward protecting the township's population of nearly 15,000.
Plumstead's 2026 budget carries a dedicated 3.75-mill property tax for the career service, projected to generate about $847,761 this year. On a home assessed at the township average of $38,929, that adds roughly $146 a year, Central Bucks News reported.
A countywide staffing crisis
Plumstead's move comes as fire departments across Bucks County struggle to fill volunteer ranks. A 2021 county report cited a shortage of 770 active firefighters, and a township presentation last November used that figure to justify the career department.
The pressure extends across central Bucks. Chalfont Deputy Fire Chief Mike Benner told New Britain Township supervisors on Friday, Aug. 7 that call volume across Chalfont's coverage areas had jumped 20% to 30% over the past 18 months. New Britain's board voted 4-1 that night to let township employees answer fire calls during work hours.
The Bucks County Commissioners established a Fire Service Advisory Board in December 2024 to study the trend. At that December 2024 meeting, interim Emergency Management Director George Wilson cited "a decline in the volunteer service and an increase in some career staffing throughout the county."
Plumstead covers 27.8 square miles with more than 110 miles of road. The career crew handles fire suppression, rescue, hazmat response, fire prevention and public education.
Turner's swearing-in date has not been announced.
