There’s a new fitness facility in town just for local first responders. Members of Catasauqua and North Catasauqua police and fire departments now have a fitness facility that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at Charotin Hose Company No. 1, 1066 Fourth St., North Catasauqua.

Northampton Regional EMS also has access to the center.

The announcement was made March 10 on social media.

“What started as a project with no funding quickly turned into something much bigger in less than a year,” the North Catasauqua Police Department Facebook page stated. “The goal was simple — give the people who protect our community a place to train, stay healthy and stay ready for the job.”

The post said a great bonus of this project was it was created “through community support and donations.”

“When the YMCA closed, they generously donated all of their gym equipment, which helped make this vision possible,” according to the post.

In the Jan. 29 edition, Catasauqua Press reported Suburban North Family YMCA, located at 880 Walnut St., Catasauqua, permanently closed Jan. 4.

Grove Street Pub and Grill also made a donation of more than $2,000 to the project, which went to the purchase of rubber flooring for inside the facility.

To help with this transition, emergency responders and public works employees cleaned up, painted and moved equipment. What was once an “empty garage bay” is now a fitness facility for first responders.

“This project is a great example of what can happen when initiative and community support come together,” the Facebook post stated.

Due to the large number of donations from YMCA, the boroughs were able to pass on some additional equipment to Whitehall Township Fire Department’s Egypt station and East Allen Township Fire Department.

In the post, the police department thanked River Crossing YMCA, Grove Street Pub and Grill and employees of Catasauqua and North Catasauqua public works, police and fire departments.

In a March 11 reshare of the original post, Catasauqua Fire Department District 2 said, “As many have seen, members were fortunate enough to receive this massive upgrade to the fitness facility. ... As said by our partners at NCPD, this facility will benefit members of various organizations both present and future.”