Interim North Catasauqua Fire Chief Shawn McGinley is moving forward. A contentious borough council meeting and executive session in January, at which the fire department's nomination of McGinley as the new fire chief was rejected by a split council vote had led to passionately hot words spoken and many of the department's firefighters threatening to quit.

Instead, McGinley was appointed interim fire chief, with Councilwoman Cherie Gebhardt saying that poor communication and disrespectful words spoken were the reason she was not prepared to approve McGinley as permanent chief.

But that was then, and this is now.

McGinley attended the March 12 council meeting to provide the council with an update on the fire department's status.

Councilmen Bill Nothstein and Peter Paone have begun attending fire department meetings to improve communication.

Nothstein asked McGinley if he was looking for a council vote on changing his status from interim chief to chief now or in the future.

McGinley said currently there may still be some concerns about his ability to lead and to communicate with council, and also some "tight feelings" about the January meeting. Because of this, he feels it would be better to wait.

"Let's wait until June and judge the fire department on its actions over six months" instead of on one night of heated conversation, he said. "We're all right with that."

With so many firefighters having threatened to quit at the January meeting, Councilman John Yanek asked how membership in the fire company has changed.

McGinley said they lost one auxiliary member.

"The fire department's not going anywhere," he said. "We're doing our job."

Delivery of the new truck is expected in a few weeks, but the exact time is not known. Horrock, the dealer handling the sale, reported the height of the truck is one inch more than the specs requested, but it was noted that will not prevent if from fitting through the doorway of the station.

No one in the fire department is currently certified to drive the new truck.

In a note to Nothstein, McGinley had stated he and Assistant Fire Chief Christopher Grebb would receive instruction on the operation of the truck and its aerial apparatus from Horrock and would then certify each other and train other North Catasauqua Fire Department firefighters on its operation.

Council President Joseph Keglovits suggested more firefighters get the early training before the truck arrives.

"My concern is that the new truck sits here if Eric and Chris are not here to drive it," he said.

When McGinley arrived at the meeting, he explained a Horrock representative will bring a similar truck to North Catasauqua to set up a state-certified class.

He said the truck is expected to arrive in April.

"It will take three weeks to add equipment before it can be put into service," he said.

The department leadership had originally wanted to schedule training for the truck earlier in May so more personnel are certified to drive it, but decided to schedule it for a few weeks later in case the truck arrives later than expected.

"I have six or seven guys qualified to drive [current] apparatus," McGinley said. "I want to get it up to 15."

The council had voted at an earlier meeting to take on the entire expense of the truck on. Originally, the council had approved carrying a set amount of the debt, with the fire department's Charotin Hose Company taking on any additional expense for added features. However, now the council has decided shared ownership between the borough and Charotin is not a good idea.

They will adjust the annual borough budget to reduce the amount allotted to the fire department over the next three years as a way of retrieving the extra $29,000 of cost from the fire department budget.

The department's "Engine 1812," a 1993 Spartan/Darley pumper truck, is still for sale. No responses were received when the truck was advertised for bids in October, at a minimum if $35,000. One late bid came in at only $25,000.

A broker has offered to handle the sale, finding a buyer for the truck, at a 10-percent commission. If the asking price remains at $35,000, he would keep $31,500.

Solicitor William McGinley said in order to comply with the state code, the borough must advertise the sale again.

"Then if no bids come in after 15 days, it can be handled by a broker," he said.

The council voted 4-0 to advertise the sale, with Councilpersons Peter Paone, Cherie Gebhardt and Michael Seng absent.

Mayor William Molchany suggested the council invite a Horrock representative to attend a council meeting so they can speak with him directly instead of through fire department officials. Keglovits said he would issue the invitation.

The fire department's Charotin Hose Company plans a fundraiser pancake breakfast at Applebee's on May 17.

On April 13, they will host the annual egg hunt at the North Catasauqua Park, with a rain date of April 27.

With annual events and training going on as usual, in many ways, life goes on as always at the fire company. With plans for better communication with the council and increased membership and certification of firefighters, the future could see a better, stronger department.

"I am trying to take this to the next step," McGinley said.