EASTON, Pa. – Easton City Council approved a fire services and quick response agreement with West Easton Borough on Wednesday night at city hall.
The five-year deal, which begins Oct. 30, involves fire services such as fire suppression, rescue and related fire-protection services, along with quick response services. The quick response services do not include ambulance transport or comprehensive emergency medical transport services.
“Regional support for regional services is going to save the taxpayers money,” Mayor Salvatore Panto said.
Easton will provide fire protection services and QRS emergency medical response within the borough. The emergency medical response services will involve incidents such as shootings, stabbings, electrocutions, drownings, and cardiac arrests.
The agreement does not represent a commitment by the city to provide ambulance transport or comprehensive emergency medical transport services unless separately authorized in writing by the parties.
When additional staffing is required for a declared weather emergency, Easton would provide staffing at the West Easton Fire Station consisting of two firefighters for up to four, 24-hour shifts.
The parties acknowledge that the arrangement’s objective long-term is to develop a regionalized fire and emergency service model. The model would involve Easton, West Easton and Wilson Borough.
The deal is worth $33,000 annually with the remainder of this year prorated. Each year the compensation would increase 3%.
Electronic Bicycles
Councilmen Frank Pintabone and Frank Graziano and Panto last week attended the Pennsylvania Municipal League’s Annual Summit in Hershey. Panto said topics of discussions at the event included the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s lack of oversight on e-bikes.
The mayor said he would introduce legislation to city council within two weeks concerning e-bikes.
“If we could get the state to at least make them have to have some type of license plates to know who they are,” Panto said. “…It’s very dangerous.”