Several years ago, sharing services among municipalities didn’t happen very often.

It was almost as if snowplows and other equipment hit the brakes at boundary lines.

But lately, school districts and local governments have begun to build a track record that can save money, stabilize or increase services and keep taxpayers from footing the bill for duplicating all of it.

The new, five-year equipment sharing agreement between Lehighton Area School District and Panther Valley School District is a real-time example of a trend that needs more attention and expansion.

It’s a relatively straightforward deal, with either district able to borrow the other’s grounds, custodial and maintenance equipment like snow removal machinery, construction tools, athletic field equipment, generators, lifts or trailers at no cost.

The borrowing district handles transporting, fueling, cleaning and day-to-day maintenance. Normal wear stays with the owner, and negligence is on the borrower. No fees change hands unless both districts agree in writing.

It’s cooperating under guidelines that keep the two districts from buying two of everything — equipment that’s used sparingly.

It’s also nothing that’s new. Districts across the county have helped each other during bus shortages, borrowed specialized equipment for specific educational programs.

Some assist with snow removal if a neighbor’s equipment breaks down, others share training or professional development days.

None may make headlines, but they saved money.

Local governments have been doing the same. Some have shared public works equipment, others coordinated road paving schedules to get better pricing.

Joint purchases of things like road maintenance materials have helped cut costs, and emergency management planning and shared code enforcement has worked, too.

There’s no formal, grand merger involved.

It’s just neighbors helping neighbors, a practical approach that should be obvious to taxpayers on both sides.

Simply, it’s admitting that no small township or borough can afford to operate as an island anymore.

Their problems are growing, the budgets are tight and expectations are way too high.

Though sharing equipment might be easy, other municipal services can be hard.

But that doesn’t mean they can’t be overcome.

Let’s consider emergency services, where cooperation already works.

Local fire departments already respond in neighboring places. Faced with aging equipment and dwindling volunteer resources, firefighters need all the help they can get.

Already, they’re dispatched from the same place. And already, the shared commitment of membership pushes the active volunteers to respond wherever and whenever they’re needed.

Police services are a bit more complicated.

As with firefighting, policing already crosses municipal boundaries, especially in the event of immediate need.

Even without emergencies, things like the relationship between Coaldale and Tamaqua shows how one relies on the other.

Just short of a regional arrangement, it might be considered a patch — a functional workaround without a long-term strategy.

Short on cash and personnel, Coaldale disbanded its police force and as a stopgap, purchased coverage from Tamaqua.

At some level, it’s working. Borough council learned that in July, Tamaqua police had 98 dispatches and made six criminal arrests. They issued a warrant, a non-traffic citation and four parking tickets along the way. Those results are better than having no police at all.

In the other Panther Valley areas, regionalizing police services has often been discussed, but the idea just can’t gain traction.

Lansford — reeling from the effects of a federal lawsuit involving a former officer — hasn’t had a police chief in a long time and recent attempts to hire one have only stirred controversy in the borough. So it goes with promoting two officers to full-time status.

There’s been some talk about working with Summit Hill, but no action.

Contrast that with Pocono Mountain Regional Police, which has become one of the state’s most successful example of regional policing.

Up that way, municipalities share officers, vehicles, training, supervision and special units. A formula distributes the costs. Coverage is consistent. Better staffing reduces response times and residents are served without each government having to fund its own department.

It’s not perfect, but it’s proof that regionalization works when it’s planned properly.

From a practical standpoint, taxpayers don’t care who owns the snowplows or shovels. The same goes for which borough supplies the code enforcement officer.

They want their roads patched or plowed, their schools maintained and safe and for a cop to come when they’re needed.

And they want it without tax hikes every year to pay for redundancy and duplication of services.

Sharing makes that happen.

Going forward — at least for now — the path ahead is coordination and not necessarily consolidation.

Maybe more formal agreements, more joint purchasing, more equipment pools and more cooperative grant applications.

Maybe even a serious talk about regional police that moves past the “someday” stage.

The Lehighton-Panther Valley agreement is a reminder that working together doesn’t necessarily mean giving up a community’s identity. The Indians will keep their “Tribe Pride” and the Panthers will still show their grit.

Community leaders need to learn that they can’t solve big problems by themselves.

When they focus more on sharing services and expertise, they’ll find that everybody wins.

ED SOCHA | tneditor@tnonline.com

Ed Socha is a retired newspaper editor with more than 45 years’ experience in community journalism.

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.