Politics & Government

Upper Macungie Commits $200K to Mobile Command Unit

Upper Macungie Supervisors voted Thursday night to join South Whitehall Township officials to fund the purchase of a shared incident command vehicle.

Upper Macungie Supervisors committed $200,000 from its local services tax account Thursday night to join South Whitehall Township in partnership to purchase an incident command vehicle.

Supervisors voted unanimously, 3-0, in favor of the motion. Upper Macungie Supervisor Sam Ashmar noted 91 percent of the money from the local services tax comes from money collected from people who work in the township but don't live there.

"We're not raising taxes for this," Ashmar said. 

The vote committed the township to paying $50,000 a year over the next four years to acquire the high-tech vehicle, currently estimated to cost about $450,000. 

South Whitehall Township commissioners voted Wednesday night to partner with Upper Macungie Township in buying the vehicle.

A mobile emergency command post can be used by police and firefighters in the event of a large-scale disaster or emergency.

"It makes more sense to have a partner," said Ashmar. "In recent indices, in the last years, we've had a school bus incident into the township building, an explosion at the [Samuel Adams] brewery and a potential unexploded grenade which we had the Allentown Bomb Squad come out. I think we all know the importance of an incident command structure."

Jeff Kelly, South Whitehall’s emergency management coordinator, gave a presentation to Upper Macungie Supervisors Thursday night in place of Upper Macungie  fire commissioner Grant Grim, who was absent due a medical emergency.

Kelly said the command vehicle will be utilized for weather events, large-scale fires, Dorney Park incidents, DUI checkpoints, police SWAT events, community events, public works and training at Parkland High School football games.

Kelly told supervisors that the vehicle would be housed at the new Cetronia Ambulance center at no charge.

"We are going to be diligent in fundraising," Kelly said. "If you know anything about Grant Grim and me, that if there are funds available, we'll solicit them. We'll both give it our best effort dealing with the agencies. I can't say 110 percent that we'll get the money."

The townships have raised $30,000 each from Lehigh County block grants and will have to pay $46,250 over the next four years, Kelly said. 

Kelly said the annual upkeep cost of the vehicle, including gas, insurance and other upkeep, will total approximately $5,700 per year.

Another meeting between the two townships on the matter will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. at the South Whitehall Township Municipal Building. 


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