Newtown Expands Coverage In Contract Extension With Firefighters

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — The board of supervisors on Wednesday voted unanimously to approve a tentative labor contract with its firefighters union that will expand additional coverage to the township and borough.

Under the agreement, the CWU Firefighters Union has agreed to provide coverage 12 hours a day, seven days a week to the township and the borough.

Highlights of the agreement include a three year contract extension; a seven, day 12 hour shift schedule; additional three percent pay increases above the 2024 salaries for existing firefighters; and the addition of two lieutenants to the chain of command.

The union currently represents eight full-time firefighters. That number will grow to 12 this year under the SAFER grant awarded to the township last fall by the federal government. The grant will fund the addition of four new full-time firefighters.

Assistant Fire Chief Nick Weaver reported on Wednesday night that they are close to hiring five new firefighters, four under the SAFER grant and one replacement.

The fire company has narrowed down the field of applicants to five who have all accepted conditional letters of employment, said Weaver. “We are moving forward with testing to get them on board,” he said.

Forty-eight candidates applied for the positions, “which is a very large number for the fire service," said Weaver. "We had 17 after that who were eligible and the top five candidates accepted their letters.”

Last fall, the township was awarded a $1.556 million federal grant to hire four additional full-time firefighters. The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant will be paying
their salaries and benefits for three years after which the township will be picking up the cost.

The additional staffing will expand the combination volunteer and paid staffing to seven days a week ensuring swift response to emergencies, said Chief Glenn Forsyth last fall.

The SAFER grant program provides funding to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations to increase the number of career firefighters and to attain 24-hour staffing and adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards.