About

Mission, Vision, and Values

Mission

The Mission of Bethlehem Township Volunteer Fire Company is to protect the life and property of the residents of Bethlehem Township and surrounding communities, by providing highly trained and motivated emergency personnel available to respond to all hazards with the finest equipment available.

Vision

Our vision is to provide world-class emergency response and EMS to Bethlehem Township and the surrounding communities. This includes the provision of fire, rescue and EMS response to 9-1-1 requests for service, and in expanded roles supporting special events, supporting allied public safety agencies, and delivering inter-facility transportation.

We will strive to be at the forefront of clinical and operational developments in emergency response, serving as excellent partners with our community’s medical and public safety providers and agencies. We will become a leader in all-hazard emergency preparedness; we will enhance our workforce’s and our community’s ability to be resilient when confronted by man-made and natural disasters. We will be viewed as a challenging, diverse, and rewarding organization, developing our personnel as firefighters, clinicians and leaders in our local, regional, state and national emergency response communities.

Values

1. Service: We are committed to selflessly serving our community with professionalism, courage, and compassion—day or night, in every emergency.
2. Integrity: We uphold the highest ethical standards, ensuring honesty, transparency, and accountability in all that we do.
3. Commitment: Our members are devoted to continuous training, preparedness, and teamwork to ensure swift and effective emergency response.
4. Courage: We face danger with determination and bravery, putting the safety of others before ourselves.
5. Respect: We honor each other, our community, and the people we serve—embracing diversity and treating everyone with dignity.
6. Excellence: We strive for operational excellence, embracing innovation and learning to enhance the quality and effectiveness of our emergency services.
7. Tradition and Community: Rooted in volunteerism, recognizing our employees’ commitments, we cherish our legacy while building strong partnerships and trust with those we protect.

Our History

Bethlehem Township Volunteer Fire Company was established in 1946 by local Civil Defense wardens, first meeting at the Wilson School at 2nd & Linden Streets in Miller Heights. In 1949, the company purchased property and built its first station at 1919 8th St. — the same address the department calls home today.

In 1956, after several firefighters completed first aid training, BTVFC began operating ambulance service, laying the groundwork for what would become, in the mid-1970s, the first paramedic service in Northampton County.

The company’s members have answered the call far beyond the township’s borders: seventeen members responded to New York City in the days following September 11, 2001, and an ambulance was deployed to the New Orleans region during the 2005 response to Hurricane Katrina.

On January 1, 2011, BTVFC moved into an expanded station wing featuring a training room, communications room, sleeping quarters, office space, and meeting rooms — supporting a current fleet of two engines, a heavy rescue, a brush/rescue, two utility trucks, a command vehicle, an operations vehicle, ten advanced life support ambulances, and two EMS quick response units.

Today, more than 50 volunteer members continue that mission, responding to about 1,100 fire calls a year.

Read the full History of BTVFC, with photos from the company’s early years.

Past Incidents

Fire and EMS incidents BTVFC responded to each year from 2010 through 2025.

Who We Serve

BTVFC provides fire and EMS services to Bethlehem Township, Lower Nazareth, Freemansburg Borough, and Bath Borough, with cooperative EMS coverage extending beyond those areas. See the full coverage area for details.