City of Bethlehem Fire Department

03/09/2026

Today Mayor Reynolds administered the oath to three members of the City of Bethlehem Fire Department who were promoted to higher ranks.

We are pleased to announce the following promotions:

Capt. Raymond Alpha - Promoted to Assistant Chief
Lt. Brett Knerr - Promoted to Captain
FF Bernard Smicherko - Promoted to Lieutenant

Please join me in congratulating these fire officers, we are confident that each will continue to uphold the integrity of the BFD and serve our community proudly.

02/14/2026

We would like to thank the agencies that assisted us yesterday 2/13/26 when we responded to two back to back structure fires in the city.

We would also like to recognize and thank the BPD officers on scene of both fires who helped by changing air cylinders and assisting in any way possible.

Lastly, would also like to recognize and thank the City of Bethlehem EMS bureau for the care they provided all of the fire personnel, as well as their care of those impacted by the fires.

Departments who assisted in the City of Bethlehem yesterday were:

City of Allentown Fire Department
Nancy Run Fire Company
American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania
City of Bethlehem EMS
City of Bethlehem Police Department
City of Bethlehem Health Bureau
Northampton County 911 Center
City of Bethlehem service center
PPL
UGI

02/01/2026

The Bethlehem Fire Department would like to congratulate Eagle Scout candidate Ryan Preletz for being recognized by United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley Teenworks for the gear dryer that he made for our department. At their Annual dinner which was held on January 31, 2026 Ryan was one of two teens recognized by the organization for "project of the year".

In July 2025 Ryan donated a gear dryer to our department that Ryan designed, built, and fundraised for as part of his Eagle Scout Project. This dryer has been a huge asset to our department and is getting used heavily by our personnel.

We would like to officially congratulate Ryan and all of the other recipients and to thank all of those who supported all of the teens in their mission to develop leadership skills and make our community better.

01/27/2026

Thank you to everyone who has cleared the hydrant on their property already, your help in keeping everyone safe is greatly appreciated.

Fire crews will be out again today clearing fire hydrants to make sure that they are accessible in an emergency.

If you are capable please clear the fire hydrant on your property.

Please also make sure that your address is clearly visible and not obstructed so Fire, EMS and Police can find your home in an emergency.

01/26/2026

The City of Bethlehem will have fire crews out today to shovel/clear areas around the fire hydrants. If you happen to have a fire hydrant near your property, any shoveling/clearing of the hydrant you could help us with would be greatly appreciated!

01/16/2026

The City of Bethlehem Fire Department is proud to welcome eight new firefighter recruits to the department. These young recruits will be undergoing brief in house training under the direction Captain Smola before heading to the Allentown Fire Academy for 22 weeks of rigorous specialized training in firefighting, EMS and Hazardous materials.

We would like to welcome:
Second Row Left to right: Jason Peters, Collin Seip, Nick Wassa, Jason Spiegelman
First Row Left to right: Sandor Paar Jr. Brandon Shanley, Ryan Cooney, Kyle Pochek

Please welcome these recruits and wish them well in their journey.

11/13/2025

Today, we welcome Ryan Bowers, Brandon Gubich and Kevin Merle to the Bethlehem Fire Department family as the Oath of Firefighter was administered by Mayor Reynolds at the Allentown Fire Academy graduation this morning.

We thank the City of Allentown for hosting another successful academy.

Congratulations to the 2502-02 graduating class!!!

10/29/2025

This week firefighters and paramedics from the City of Bethlehem are sharpening their skills and participating in an Emergency Vehicle Operations Refresher Course (EVOC-R) that is being conducted by instructor Jay Wenner of the Bucks County Community College Public Safety Training Center.

A special thank you to Wind Creek Casino for their support and the use of their parking lot for this training.

10/23/2025

Today, at our annual memorial ceremony, we honored and remembered those we have lost.

Thank you to all of the families and friends who joined us for this special service.

We extend great appreciation to the Liberty High School Grenadier Band and Patti's Petals for their continued support.

10/21/2025

Trunk or Treat 2025 was a great success! Thank you to everyone who came out. We had a great time meeting everyone in their awesome costumes! Hope to see you again next year!

10/07/2025