Limerick Fire Department Outlines Fundraising, Community Programs, and Future Staffing Challenges

Limerick Township’s volunteer fire department is continuing to serve the community largely through fundraising and volunteers, but fire officials told township supervisors this week that long-term funding discussions may soon be necessary to maintain service levels.

During a presentation at the March 3 meeting of the Limerick Board of Supervisors, Fire Chief Ken Shuler and President Tom Walters outlined the department’s current operations, fundraising efforts, and potential future needs, including the possibility of transitioning toward a combination volunteer-and-paid staffing model.

While the department is not seeking immediate changes, officials said planning for future funding will be important as the demands on the department increase.

Heavy Reliance on Volunteers and Fundraising

Shuler said the department responded to nearly 800 calls in 2025 and logged thousands of hours in training and community service. The department currently has about 70 responders, with roughly 35 to 40 considered active firefighters.

Fundraising remains a key part of the department’s operations, though officials say those efforts have scaled back significantly in recent years as training requirements for firefighters have increased.

“We used to have over 50 fundraisers,” Shuler told the board. “We’ve cut that down tremendously over the last 10 years.”

The department now relies on about five or six major events each year, including its annual carnival, comedy show, golf outing, the township’s Fourth of July fireworks celebration, and a new car show planned for September. The department also runs community programs such as the youth fire camp, which filled all 150 available spots within minutes of registration opening this year, and the special needs camp.

Shuler said while these events remain important, they also place significant time demands on volunteers who are already balancing training requirements and emergency response duties.

Grants and Township Support

In addition to fundraising, the department relies on grant funding and township support.

The township currently provides more than $400,000 annually for operational expenses. The department also maintains its own budget of roughly $230,000 for programs and expenses funded through fundraising efforts.

Grant funding has become increasingly important as well. Department officials recently secured a four-year federal SAFER grant to support new member recruitment, training, equipment and other costs. They also received a $53,000 grant to upgrade the department’s safety trailer used for community education.

Despite these efforts, fire officials said long-term financial planning will be necessary as staffing and operational needs evolve.

Planning for Future Staffing Needs

One of the department’s biggest concerns is maintaining adequate staffing as volunteer participation becomes more difficult to sustain statewide.

Shuler said one option that may eventually be considered is a “combination department,” which blends volunteers with paid firefighters. Such models are increasingly common in growing communities and could serve as a transitional step if volunteer availability continues to decline.

He noted that a fully paid fire department would represent a much larger financial shift. Based on current estimates, replacing the volunteer model entirely with paid staffing could add more than $3 million annually on top of the department’s existing budget.

Shuler suggested the township could begin exploring the issue over the next year by consulting with other Pennsylvania departments that have already transitioned to combination models.

Training Facility Under Consideration

Department officials are also evaluating the possibility of building a smaller local training structure to allow firefighters to conduct more hands-on training without leaving the township.

Traveling to regional training facilities can require taking firefighters out of service for an entire day, according to Shuler. A local training structure could allow departments to conduct shorter sessions while remaining available for emergency calls.

One potential concept would use modified shipping containers to create a lower-cost training facility.

Shuler said the department is still in the early stages of evaluating the idea and is targeting a possible timeline around 2027 if the project moves forward.

Early Conversations Encouraged

While no formal proposals were presented to the board, Shuler encouraged township leaders to begin thinking about long-term funding and service models.

Supervisors acknowledged that the issue may require future discussion as the township continues to grow.

For now, fire officials said their focus remains on maintaining the current volunteer model while preparing for potential changes down the road.