BERWYN, PA - The Berwyn Fire Company attended the kick-off of the Chester County Fire and EMS Strategic Plan on June 5th at the Chester County Public Safety Training Campus. Township Supervisors and Staff from Tredyffrin and Easttown Townships were also present.

The Chester County Fire Chiefs Association, Chester County Emergency Medical Services Council, Inc. and the Chester County Fire Police Association in partnership with the Chester County Department of Emergency Services has started work with Municipal Resources of New Hampshire to provide a comprehensive report and a series of workshops addressing future countywide fire protection and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) concerns as a planning tool for fire chiefs, EMS chiefs, municipal managers and elected officials. Currently in Chester County, there is little standardization in deployment and operation of fire and EMS service resources and a declining number of personnel to respond. Response to a major catastrophic event, such as an act of terrorism would require a standardized and coordinated effort in order to save lives. Additionally, both fire and EMS agencies struggle to maintain adequate staffing levels as both volunteer pools and revenue streams continue to decline – negatively impacting their ability to respond to both every day and catastrophic emergencies.

According to the County emergency service groups, the vision for this program is to evaluate how fire and EMS services are currently being provided within Chester County as compared with other geographical areas of similar size and population, and to provide guidance to address the future of fire and EMS delivery in Chester County based on emerging trends and best practices in fire protection and EMS.

The leadership of the Berwyn Fire Company look forward to working with the County emergency services groups and local T-E leaders to ensure the success of this plan. You can stay updated with the plan by following the Chester County Department of Emergency Services on Facebook @CCDES and the Chester County Fire Chiefs Association on Facebook @CCFireChiefs.