At their March meeting, Packer Township supervisors shared that they will be sending a new proposal regarding fire protection to Weatherly Borough this month.

Packer currently sends $16,300 a year to Weatherly, which is then used to support the Citizens’ Fire Company No. 1.

In 2020, Weatherly’s council asked Packer supervisors to increase the amount being sent, in part because Packer residents pay less per home than Weatherly residents do.

This year, Citizens’ is looking to upgrade its fleet. The volunteer fire company will be replacing a 1988 pumper and a 1994 rescue with a single new rescue pumper, which will cost over $700,000. The old units now offered for sale.

Numbers proposed to Packer supervisors increase the amount of support to approximately $21,820, or about $23 per person. Weatherly Borough residents pay a bit more than $24 per person. Packer Township’s population is 998, and Weatherly Borough is 2,512. Packer supervisors, however, did not accept this proposal from Weatherly due to the steep increase.

Above and beyond the base contribution for fire protection, Packer will be asked to contribute toward payments on the 20-year loan needed to pay for the new rescue pumper, perhaps another dollar per person, per month - about $12,000 more each year.

The annual report from Citizens’ Fire Company was read at this meeting. Within that report are paragraphs saying that Citizens’ is working to add water supply and equipment with a goal of improving the fire district’s insurance safety rating. The new firetruck and new hydrants, plus more training, can reduce homeowners insurance premiums.

One of the big improvements recently was the addition of a pressurized fire hydrant on the Hazleton City (Water) Authority main at Station Lane in Packer Township, with assistance of Packer supervisors. A sister fire hydrant is installed by Wetzel Run Road in Packer, but it is not yet ready to serve.

The Fire Company report calls it “a work in progress,” since in order to use it, a lateral needs to be installed with a pressure reducing valve. The HCA main at that location is under high pressure. Costs for this work are estimated at $20,000.