When a fire broke out at a garage in Tamaqua on July 11, fire companies were on the scene within minutes after dispatch despite Tamaqua Borough Council’s decision to remove the closest company to the fire from service in March.

“Response was not delayed to the garage fire incident which took place at 525 E. Broad St. with the closure of the East End Fire Company,” Tamaqua Borough Council President Brian Connely said.

At Tuesday’s council meeting, Connely said that many took to social media, claiming that if the East End Fire Company wasn’t removed from service, fire crews would have had a faster response

According to Connely, crews were dispatched at 1:47 p.m. He noted that Engine 65-12 (from the Citizens Fire Company) was on its way at 1:51 p.m., followed by Engine 65-10 (from the American Hose Company) one minute later.

And by 1:54 p.m., fire personnel had water on the fire from a hydrant at Elizabeth and East Broad streets.

Additional ladder trucks, engines and squads arrived shortly thereafter, Connely said.

“These times reflect 7 minutes from notification of fire to volunteer firefighters getting water on the fire,” Connely said. “So regardless of what the famous Facebook has to say, or any other social media, within 7 minutes they had water on the fire.”

He noted that the response and arrival times exceed the 9-minute response standards set by the National Fire Protection Association.

“NFPA requires a response — a response — standard of 9 minutes. The fire department responded in 4 minutes and had water on the fire in 7 minutes,” Connely said.

Council suspended the East End Fire Company — which is headquartered on the 500 block of East Broad Street — from service in March due to “emergency reasons” including poor response times.

On Saturday, the West Penn Fire Company of West Penn Township announced that it was leasing East End’s space, apparatus and equipment, and welcoming its volunteers to join its ranks.