ALLEN TWP., Pa. – For small fire companies, police departments and EMS agencies, keeping first responders safe can come with a significant price tag.
At the Allen Township Fire Company, a recently purchased radio system connected to the Northampton County 911 center cost more than $200,000.
“This is one of the new style radios we purchased,” Fire Chief Dale Hassler said while showing the equipment.
The radios are carried throughout the department’s apparatus and kept near firefighters’ air packs so they are readily available during emergency calls.
The next major expense is already approaching.
Hassler said replacing the department’s air bottles and breathing apparatus will cost about $235,000.
Asked whether managing those expenses creates stress, Hassler said his role has changed over the years.
“Some stress,” he said. “Becoming more and more of a manager today.”
Northampton County helped cover about a quarter of the department’s radio costs through its annual Public Safety Grant Program.
The county distributes about $600,000 each year to smaller public safety departments, with funding coming from casino table-game revenue. Applications for the 2026 grants are now being accepted, with individual awards of up to $20,000.
“Public safety is such a crucial issue, especially when you need it,” Northampton County Executive Tara Zrinski said. “That’s not the time that you want to be thinking about how it’s being paid for.”
Allen Township Fire Company has received about $30,000 through the program over the past several years.
For Hassler, a 50-year veteran of the department, the demands of the job have changed dramatically. He said call volume has increased about 400% over the past three decades.
Volunteer firefighters still are not paid for their service. Keeping them protected, however, can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Asked how he feels knowing firefighters now have an added layer of protection through newer equipment, Hassler had a simple answer.
“A lot better,” he said. “A lot better.”