CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) – A Midstate fire department is able to expand its live-in firefighter program following renovations.

The New Kingstown Fire Company in Mechanicsburg has had a live-in firefighter program for years. But now they have a newly renovated space to call home.

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This Week in Pennsylvania

“All the live-ins were in the same room, now they are in a dorm style basically by themselves,” said New Kingstown Fire Company Chief Curtis Hall.

Bailey Seeger has been a firefighter at the department for almost two years and is one of six live-in firefighters.

“I’m loving the space, it’s being able to just kind of make it your own, like they allow us to hang up flags and bring in our own stuff to just kind of decorate,” said Seeger.

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Each firefighter has their own room with shared bathrooms, a laundry room, and spaces for everyone to get together.

“We have a total of nine rooms and four bathrooms,” said Hall.

Having six live-in firefighters makes this the most live-ins in department history since the program began in 2010. The renovations have also made it possible for the department to have their first live-in female firefighter.

“We have a room set aside on the first floor for female firefighters designated for them to bunk in. It is something new for us as far as a female living here but nothing new to us for females running calls,” said Hall.

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Chief Hall says live-in firefighters are crucial for response times because they can be on the truck and out the door in under two minutes.

“The main thing with live-in firefighters is getting them on a fire truck and getting them out the door. We’re not making up time on the street we know what our traffic situations are,” said Hall.

Seeger says being a live-in firefighter means every day he can train and prepare.

“Making sure the fire trucks are maintained to a proper standard, making sure that we’re working on timing getting out faster and faster, always training to just make ourselves better,” said Seeger.

Hall says they currently have two open rooms. The cost of renovations was just over $650,000 which was paid for with fire tax money.

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