Swarthmore Borough and Nether Providence Township are exploring a merger of fire departments to compensate for a drop in volunteers and aging equipment. The proposed merger would unite the South Media and Garden City fire companies in Nether Providence with the Swarthmore Fire and Protective Association. Swarthmore and Nether Providence commissioned Longwood Fire Chief A.J. McCarthy to study the challenges facing the three fire departments. His report recommended creating one regional fire department to cover the two municipalities plus Rose Valley. A complete merger, forming one regional fire department, could take a year and a half to three years, while something less formal could be completed more quickly. “I think there’s a very good chance that we would follow [the report’s recommendation] with maybe some nuances,” Swarthmore Mayor and Fire Chief Conlen Booth said. “But there is no guarantee that happens, and we could have other types of mergers, or we could start with other mergers and then evolve into that full merger.” A single regional fire department would need new bylaws, a new charter, joint operation guidelines and more. A complete merger would also require the departments to dissolve their existing nonprofit organizations and relief associations and create new ones.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 1/29/2026