Se-Wy-Co Unveils Plans for New Leithsville Station

At a breakfast fundraiser Jan. 13, attractive plans for a new Leithsville Fire Station were prominently displayed along with photos of the old station after it was consumed by flames.

Ground for the new station will be broken in the spring, with construction expected to last about a year, Se-Wy-Co Fire Company member Scott Krycia said at the breakfast.

Although the four-bay station will be built on top of the old building's footprint, it will not be as deep.

Thus, it will be set back an additional 20 to 25 feet from the busy intersection of Leithsville and Flint Hill roads, Krycia said.

It was less than eight months ago that the old station--a Lower Saucon Township landmark--was destroyed by fire after a runaway dump truck crashed into it on a mild May afternoon.

Authorities recently announced that the investigation into that accident has been concluded, with no criminal charges planned against the driver of the truck--who was seriously injured--or the company that owned it.

A motorist who happened to be driving in front of the fire station when the dump truck's brakes failed was killed when his SUV was pushed into the fire station, and the building itself was a total loss in the wake of the ensuing fire.

Also destroyed was a brand new tanker truck that was housed in the station, but a replacement for that vehicle is already on order from Pierce, Krycia said, adding that it will take about eight months to build.

Although insurance will pay for much of the cost associated with rebuilding and re-equpping the Leithsville Fire Station, donations are still needed to help with expenses that won't be covered.

Donations can be made to the Leithsville Building Fund.

Information about that fund can be found on the Se-Wy-Co Fire Company website, which is where updates about the construction plans and the new truck will be posted regularly throughout the year, Krycia said.

The members of Se-Wy-Co--which absorbed Leithsville Volunteer Fire Company as part of a merger that was already in the works when the accident occurred--will be focused this year on the construction of the station, he added.

As a result, January's breakfast at the Leithsville Fire Station Social Hall will be the last one served by fire company members, at least for some time.

Starting in February, the popular all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet will be served by The Meadows, although proceeds will still benefit Se-Wy-Co Fire Company.