Catasauqua Fire Department and North Catasauqua Police Department are recipients of the 2020 Whitehall Area Chamber Community Grant program.

The program was established by the Chamber to provide funding to local municipalities for upcoming projects, supplies or initiatives for betterment of the communities in the Whitehall area.

Applicants must be a nonprofit or community-based organization within the territory of the Whitehall Area Chamber of Commerce, which serves Whitehall Township and Catasauqua, North Catasauqua and Coplay boroughs.

“The Whitehall Area Chamber received several excellent applications,” said Kylie Adams, manager of affiliated chambers for Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. “The applications from North Catasauqua and Catasauqua both held strong initiative to protect our community and those who serve. Investing in our community now means securing our future for years to come, and the Whitehall Area Chamber sees the importance in supporting such organizations.”

Catasauqua Fire Department, 90 Bridge St., plans to use the money for face-piece adapters for each fire department member.

“This will allow the member to utilize their own issued mask to avoid any cross contamination,” according to the department’s application. “This will also greatly reduce the amount of N95 and surgical masks used daily on incidents.”

North Catasauqua Police Department, 1066 Fourth St., will be purchasing two mobile trail cameras.

“These cameras will have the ability to be quickly and easily moved from one location to another, thus increasing the police department’s ability to monitor areas of the borough not easily accessibly by way of vehicle,” the application stated.

The cameras will be used to monitor areas prone to vandalism, such as under the newly built Lehigh Street bridge and the D&L Trail, which have been vandalized numerous times in the past by spray paint.

“These cameras will increase the police department’s ability to maintain the beauty of our community and aid in prevention, enforcement and prosecution of future vandalism,” the application continued.

“On behalf of the Whitehall Area Chamber of Commerce, I am delighted to present community grants to the Catasauqua Fire Department and the North Catasauqua Police Department,” said Dan Quay, board chair of the Whitehall Area Chamber of Commerce. “Both organizations are undertaking projects that help keep our first responders safe and our communities better protected. The Chamber board is genuinely grateful to all who supported our events throughout the year that enabled us to distribute these grants that help keep our community a great place to work, live and play.”