The Slatington Fire and Forestry Department have been presented with a two and a half ton gift from Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

The "deuce" as it was referred to during Slatington's borough council meeting, is a 10-man military surplus forestry vehicle.This vehicle is free to the borough with the exception of licensing and insurance. Maintenance for the vehicle will be handled by the fire department.During Slatington's borough council meeting earlier this month, council member Jon Rinker asked Fire Department Capt. Mike Dempsey to speak to the board about the vehicle. Dempsey presented the many advantages of the donation and tried to quell the concerns from the council on costs.He said several fires have already broken out on the popular D&L Trail, including the Blue Mountain brush fire which destroyed about 800 acres.Council President Gwyneth Neff asked the bottom-line question, "Why do we need this?"Dempsey told council that the Slatington Fire and Forestry Department are first responders. Slatington is less than a mile away from the Lehigh Gap, making the mountain a part of the Slatington coverage area. New entrances have been added to the Slatington range of the D&L trail, bringing more issues for safety."I'm one of the youngest guys in the department. I'm looking to make our lives easier 10-15 years from now. Right now we have only ground crew, but with this vehicle, instead of walking 6 miles in we can drive in with water."Dempsey added said the vehicle could also be used in emergency responses to quarry accidents.Safety aside, the council was still concerned with cost. "It's not free, we have to pay to maintain it and house it," Neff said.Dempsey was quick to dismiss the issue, saying the vehicle is a military surplus vehicle and would not need housing. He reiterated that the fire department would do all the maintenance themselves.No one had any idea how much it would cost to insure a vehicle of such magnitude.Council member Jon Rinker dismissed insurance as a small detail, adding, "If that truck can save one life or multiple, it's worth the investment."Without proper information on insurance and licensing costs the council agreed to table the matter until the next monthly borough meeting at 7 p.m. June 8.