By SARIT LASCHINSKY

Special to The Press

Director of the Upper Macungie Bureau of Fire Peter Christ presented an overview of the township’s fire apparatus replacement plan at the supervisors’ Aug. 5 meeting.

Christ said last year the state Department of Community and Economic Development started a fire study for the township which looked at the current equipment.

The DCED made suggestions on what was “most advantageous” for the township’s fire stations to have.

Christ said the DCED recommended its own plan for placing or redistributing fire apparatus between Fogelsville Fire Company Station 8, Trexlertown Fire Company 25, and Upper Macungie Township Station 56.

Under the DCED proposal, Fogelsville Station 8 would keep its existing Engine 811 and Utility 891, while purchasing a new rescue engine and brush truck.

At Trexlertown Station 25, the DCED recommended maintaining Aerial 2531 and Rescue 2541, while adding Tanker 821, currently housed at Fogelsville, and a new utility squad vehicle.

Finally, Upper Macungie Station 56 would receive urban interface truck Unit 2511, currently housed at Trexlertown, and a new rescue engine, while maintaining its existing Engine 5611 and Utility 5691.

Christ said he and the three fire chiefs met to devise their own concept plan.

“Since the release of the study, the fire chiefs and myself sat down and we reviewed our existing apparatus, what the DCED has recommended, and we took all those things into consideration,” Christ said. “And who knows our township best but our fire chiefs.”

This new concept plan also calls for the reshuffling and purchase of apparatus, but differs from the state’s proposal.

Christ said under the fire chiefs’ conceptual plan, Fogelsville Station 8 would receive a new engine and commercial tanker, as well as Unit 2511 from Trexlertown, while maintaining Utility 891 and Fire Police Unit 852.

Trexlertown Station 25 would receive a new utility squad vehicle and Fogelsville’s Engine 821, while maintaining their existing Aerial 2531, Rescue 2541 and Utility 2591.

Finally, Upper Macungie Station 56 would receive a new rescue engine, as well as a new engine with an elevated master stream, and would maintain the existing Utility 5691.

Engine 811 would also be kept in reserve status at the station.

If the new concept plan were to be brought to fruition, the purchase and placement of new apparatus at all three stations would total about $3 million, while the sale of existing apparatus would bring in about $400,000.

Christ noted the process of replacing, moving, purchasing and selling vehicles would stretch out over several years until at least 2024.

He also mentioned the 2020 truck replacement plan, which had been completed before the DCED study to replace existing apparatus.

He said this plan called for about $9,025,000 in investments over 21 years.

However, he added, after the DCED study was completed, a new 2021 truck replacement plan was drafted with the chiefs based on what they thought would be best suited for the township.

The 2021 plan’s investments total approximately $7,030,000.

“So, over a 21-year period with the new plan that has been derived by the fire chiefs, it’s a total savings of approximately $1.9 million over the 21 years,” Christ explained.

In response to an audience question, Christ said while he did not have monetary figures for the DCED-suggested plan, he believed it would have been more expensive than the one devised by the chiefs because the DCED proposal called for more apparatus purchases.

“They’re actually recommending more apparatus up front,” he said.

Fogelsville Fire Chief Doug Gernerd requested supervisors look into the recommended plan in the near future, and possibly take action.

“We’re hoping you could put this on the docket next month and maybe vote on it, for a number of reasons,” he said.

Gernerd said the fire companies discovered by purchasing vehicles up front and paying cash, they could save $90,000 per unit.

The dealers also advised the fire companies that next year, there could be a 3-9-percent price increase due to microchip shortages.

“By voting on it and approving it in September, we could start working on those other two pieces of apparatus, and hopefully get them under contract before the end of this year and maybe save some more money,” Gernerd said.

He added the projected price increase is “going to be huge monies coming out of the pocket.”

Gernerd explained the township’s three fire chiefs were not satisfied with the DCED proposal, thus there were no cost estimates provided with that plan.

“We came up with a plan that would work better for this township over the next 20 years,” he stated. “This wasn’t a plan created that would work for individual stations.

“This was a plan decided on by the three chiefs and brought to the three fire departments to work better, and it’s going to work for this township going forward for the next 20 years.”

Trexlertown Fire Chief Gary Mattox agreed, adding the current apparatus lineup had been purchased for three separate fire companies.

“And it was kind of independent and built-out,” he said, adding the concept drafted between the companies would decrease the amount of overlap.

“The plan that is put in place, was put in place by the people who deal with this every day.”

Acting board Chairman Sean Gill, filling in for James Brunell, addressed the fire chiefs.

“The best thing that came out of this was the chiefs working together,” Gill said. “Kudos to them and their membership, that alone makes us feel very happy that they’re working together to help the people of Upper Macungie.”

He noted the township does have a replenishment program.

“I think what we’ve done in the past, when we saw the opportunity to save money we took advantage of it, and we’ll definitely take a look at it. You have my word on that,” Gill said.