When you see fire apparatus responding through Bristol Township, you may notice that the names on the trucks aren't always the same.
That's because protecting a community from fire and other emergencies is a team effort.
Levittown Fire Company No. 2 works alongside other fire and emergency service organizations to help ensure the personnel, apparatus and specialized equipment needed for an emergency can reach the scene.
Fire Response Begins With Bucks County 911
When someone calls 911 in Bristol Township, Bucks County Emergency Communications serves as the connection between the person requesting assistance and the emergency agencies responding to help.
Call takers establish the location and nature of the emergency while the dispatch system identifies the appropriate resources to respond.
We've explained that process in What Happens After You Call 911 in Bucks County?
Fire Protection in Bristol Township
Bristol Township is protected through a combination of local fire service resources working within an organized response system.
Levittown Fire Company No. 2 is one of the volunteer fire companies serving the township.
Our members respond to incidents that can include structure fires, vehicle crashes, fire alarms, carbon monoxide incidents, hazardous conditions and other calls for assistance.
Depending on the type and location of an emergency, additional fire companies and resources may also be part of the response.
What Is Mutual Aid?
Mutual aid is cooperation between emergency service organizations that allows departments to share firefighters, apparatus and specialized resources.
A serious structure fire can require many firefighters performing different jobs at approximately the same time.
Those jobs can include:
Fire attack
Searching for occupants
Establishing a water supply
Ventilation
Ladder operations
Protecting neighboring buildings
Firefighter safety and rapid intervention
Mutual aid allows neighboring fire companies to combine resources when an incident requires them.
Why Would a Fire Company From Another Area Respond?
Fire doesn't recognize fire district or municipal boundaries.
If firefighters or specialized equipment from another station are part of the planned response or are requested to help manage an incident, you'll see apparatus from more than one department at the scene.
The system works both ways.
When neighboring departments need assistance, LFC2 can respond to help them just as other companies can assist us.
Different Apparatus Perform Different Jobs
Not every large red vehicle performs the same function.
Fire Engines
Engines are primarily designed around fire suppression and water delivery. They carry pumps, hose, water and firefighting equipment.
Ladder Apparatus
Ladder apparatus provides ground ladders or aerial equipment along with tools used for access, ventilation and other fireground operations.
Rescue Apparatus
Rescue vehicles may carry specialized tools and equipment for vehicle crashes and other rescue situations.
The combination of apparatus responding to an incident depends on what resources may be necessary to safely manage the emergency.
Bristol Township's Fire Districts Have Recently Changed
Bristol Township recently approved changes to its fire response districts, including changes affecting the areas served by local volunteer fire companies.
For more information about what changed and why, read our coverage of Bristol Township's fire district restructuring.
One Emergency, One Team
Different stations may have different apparatus, patches and traditions, but at an emergency the mission is shared.
Protect life. Stabilize the incident. Protect property. Keep firefighters and the public safe.
Levittown Fire Company No. 2 is proud to work alongside our neighboring fire companies and emergency service agencies in protecting Bristol Township and the surrounding community.
The next time you see apparatus from several different fire companies at the same incident, you're seeing cooperation in action.