BETHLEHEM, Pa. (WLVT) - The City of Bethlehem swore in five new firefighters at Town Hall on Monday.
“It was a long-time coming,” said one of the newest members of the Bethlehem Fire Department, Logan Sawka. “It feels a little surreal to finally be done, but to get on shift, I’m excited to put my skills to the test.”
This ceremony raises the number of Bethlehem firefighters to 106. Chief Warren Achey said there is room in the budget for 108, so they are currently testing to fill the last two spots. He said it’s important to be fully-staffed to make sure their response times are as fast as possible.
Sawka is also a medic in the United States Army Reserves, and he said this job goes hand-in-hand with his desire to serve. “I wanted to do a job where I could help out people and I could feel like I’m contributing back to the community,” said Sawka.
The five new firefighters are Kevin Burnett, Thomas Hart, Logan Sawka, Michael Kercsmar, and Sean McCormick.
Though the department will not be testing again until 2021, Chief Achey said nearby local departments may have different timelines.
