Delaware County fire company selling building after funding change

A fire company that has served a Delaware County community for more than 50 years is putting its building up for sale, citing financial strain after a township funding change.

Upper Darby Fire Company Number One, located on West Chester Pike, announced the decision following a shift in how the township supports volunteer fire companies.

According to Fire Company One President Peter Rorke, the township’s new funding structure has made it difficult to keep up with expenses.

In the past, volunteer companies received monthly stipends to cover costs upfront.

Under the new system, companies must pay expenses first and then seek reimbursement after evaluation by the fire chief.

Rorke said those costs have continued to rise, leaving the company with few options.

“We’re sad that we have to take this action but we have to look forward and protect the investments that we have made over the years to try to take care of the volunteers that sacrifice all their time and energy,” Rorke said. “We still want to remain as a nonprofit and try to help out not only our members but also some of the other volunteer fire companies within Upper Derby Township.”

The township said it was surprised by the decision to sell the building.

Officials said the funding change was implemented to ensure accountability for taxpayer dollars.

Fire Chief Nick Martin said he had not received any reimbursement requests from Fire Company One.

He also emphasized that residents should not be concerned about fire protection.

“The first thing we would like to do is assure our township residents and visitors that we will take all measures necessary to ensure continued fire protection and continued operations out of this firehouse and that these events in no way represent any threat or compromise to public safety,” Martin said.

Both township officials and fire company leadership also pointed to a broader challenge facing volunteer departments: Declining participation.

They said most emergency calls in Upper Darby are now handled by paid firefighters.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.