By ANNA GILGOFF

Special to The Press

The days of changing the message on the marquis in front of the New Tripoli Fire Hall by hand are over.

A new LED sign makes the old-fashioned process obsolete while maximizing communication with the community.

“We’re going to have a lot of control with the new sign,” Fire Police Lt. Sid Madtes said.

“We’ll be able to change the message easily. We can have one advertisement one day and another one the next, then go back to the first the day after that.”

In addition to being cumbersome, the old marquee posed several problems.

”It had three locks and, a lot of times, you didn’t have all the letters for the message,” said Donald Christ, a fire company director.

“We have been talking about it for 10 years,” explained Scott Koenig, who said the new sign is the result of years of research and planning.

“Now, everybody will have a better idea of what’s happening at the fire hall,” Madtes added.

The installation of the sign was a collaboration between Lehigh Valley Signs and Bartush Signs.

“We bid it out and Lehigh Valley Signs got the bid,” Christ said, explaining a permit was also required.

“I do a lot of work for Dorney Park and for the Goodwill stores,” said Dan Staub of Lehigh Valley Signs.

Staub joked with Jeremy Ward, of Bartush Signs, as the installation proceeded.

“We have to know how to drill concrete, weld metal, and operate equipment,” he said. “There’s a lot involved.”

“Dave Wright will do the electrical work,” Christ said. “The sign will go off at a certain time at night.”

The sleek design in bright colors is a contrast to its brick forerunner.

“We looked at the color of our trucks and matched the sign as best we could,” Christ said. “Sid and some of the girls are going to be responsible for changing the message on the sign.”

The new sign is a step forward.

“It took lots and lots of hard work,” Madtes said. “Not the least of which was raising the money. Anyone who wants to donate money to offset costs, well, we’ll take it.”