Recently all three Kidder Township fire companies sent a letter to the township's supervisors which explained the need for first responders to be vaccinated against hepatitis.

The companies asked the township to reimburse each firefighter approximately $10 for the series of three shots.According the Vice Chairman Larry Polansky, there are 41 first responders in the township in three departments: Lake Harmony, Kidder and Albrightsville."The township gives each of the fire companies $75,000 per year, $50,000 in the case of Kidder," Polansky said at the township meeting last week. "This comes to about $200 per company. We don't see any reason to reimburse any additional money."The fire chiefs were not happy with the board's decision."When we are at a scene, we are township employees," said Ralph Lennon Chief of Lake Harmony Volunteer Fire Company. "If these guys are exposed to that you're talking about the townships' workman's comp."John Devine, Kidder Volunteer Fire Chief agreed."If you are exposed and contract, this is a lifetime illness; it doesn't go away. There will be treatment until you die." Devine said. "You are not sending a very good message to your firefighters."Hepatitis shots are not a requirement for firefighters, but some departments are getting them.Larry Zawaly, fire chief in Palmerton, said firefighters there are doing it voluntarily, and the Firemen's Relief Association has been paying for them.During the meeting last week, Kidder supervisors failed to respond to requests for sponsorships and donations to fire company events."Instead I am making a motion that rather than use taxpayer money that we did not budget for, any supervisor is free to make a contribution on their own, out of their own pocket," Supervisor Thomas Lafond said.