The Western Berks Fire Department is a multi-jurisdictional fire department serving the communities of Sinking Spring and Wernersville Boroughs and Lower Heidelberg and South Heidelberg Townships of Fritztown and the Lower Heidelberg Township Volunteer Fire Co. provided mutual aid to each, collaborated together for training and performed a number of community outreach events to the residents of the municipalities. In 2007, the department leadership of each company and the elected officials of the four municipalities began discussing the options available for furthering the already existent cooperation between the four departments and municipalities. In December of 2007, a committee of elected officials, fire department officers and members, community residents, and business leaders convened to discuss the various options available with a representative from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. After a number of monthly committee meetings, extensive research and data collection, and discussions with other departments who recently performed a consolidation, in October of 2008 the committee presented the elected officials, department members, and community residents with an extensive report documenting the recommendations to form the new consolidated department. The Western Berks Fire Department was organized and placed “in-service” on August 8, 2009 when the four legacy departments from four separate municipalities were consolidated into one comprehensive department. The new department is now responsible for protecting over 20,000 residents and hundreds of business in an area covering over 32 square miles which consists of residential neighborhoods, industrial areas, educational facilities, agricultural facilities, major rail and highway transportation corridors and a number of hazardous materials facilities.
