New Tripoli Deputy Fire Chief Gary Kuntz Jr. and Lynnport Deputy Fire Chief Clark Mantz provided an update on the Lehigh County radio system during their monthly reports at the Lynn Township Board of Supervisors July 10 meeting. “The portable radios that we got through the grant they have come in and they’re getting programmed,” Kuntz stated. “I will probably have them in hand this weekend so we are wrapping that up.”

He also stated their ninth annual Fall Bash tickets are on sale and this year’s Fall Bash will be held on Sept. 20 and the yard sale in the park is coming up on July 19.

“I want to thank the Northwestern Firefighter Foundation for the picnic they held at Ontelaunee park,” Kuntz stated. “I know some of you guys and girls were there in attendance. I think it was a very nice day and I think all four fire departments really appreciated it.”

During his report, Mantz stated for Lynnport, basically the same thing that he (Kuntz) already said.

“The radios, same things and thanks to the Foundation, the picnic was very nice, everybody had a good time,” he stated. “We will be having what we’re calling it a First Alarm Truck Festival on Sept. 5 and 6 at the Kempton fairgrounds. We’re going to have truck pulls on Friday and Saturday, a truck show on Saturday and truck judging and street drags. Our monthly hoagie sales, bingo and breakfast will resume in September and we will have our gun bingo on Nov. 8.”

After the reports Fritz Najarian, vice chairman, questioned the men on the radios.

“Just out of curiosity with the portable radios, are they actually able to be used at this point or does the county have to fire up their new system first,” Najarian asked.

Kuntz responded.

“So the portables we got, we got the best of both worlds just mainly of the transition that’s going to happen at some point. So we have four banks in our portable radios, banks A, B, C and D,” Kuntz explained. “So A and B are dictated by the county how they will be set up. The county will put out a list and say these are the channels or frequencies that will be in those banks and this is the order they will be in. Banks C and D are currently what we’re operating on, so when we get these radios over the weekend and we train with them we’ll be able to put them in service right away on the old system and once the transition happens we can go right to the new system with them.”

Board member Ron Jerdon also asked Lynnport if they received their radios.

Mantz responded, “ECCO Communications, LLC., has them.”

In other business, the board discussed making donations and contributions to Lynnport and New Tripoli fire companies, Northwestern Rescue Squad and Northwestern Rec Commission.

Chairman Brian Dietrich began the discussion.

“Last year we donated $8,000 to the Lynnport Fire Company, $8,000 to the New Tripoli Fire Company, Northwestern Rescue Squad $3,000 and Northwestern Rec commission $5,000 plus $500 for Night the Country,” Dietrich stated before asking the other board members their thoughts on donations for this year.

“I move that we do the same thing this year,” Jerdon stated.

Najarian seconded the motion and the board unanimously approved the donations.