Phone app may help fire crews in Hegins, Hubley townships

March 19-- Mar. 19--VALLEY VIEW -- A new phone app in the works could help emergency crews responding to fires in Hegins and Hubley townships, the Hegins-Hubley Authority learned Monday.

Authority Manager Demetrius Kasmari presented the board with an after-action review, as directed last month by board Chairman Clark Romberger.

Romberger's request came following a Maple Street house fire in January and a report from Hegins Valley Fire Rescue Chief Chad Richards about hydrant connection problems and a failed hydrant near the site in Valley View.

Kasmari said he met with emergency management agency representatives from the townships, supervisors and area firefighters from Hegins Valley Fire and Rescue and Sacramento to gain input. The hydrants in that area were flushed on May 17, 2018, and were maintained, lubricated and oiled on Nov. 28, 2018, Kasmari said. One hydrant was frozen during the January fire and did not open. Firefighters then had to seek another water source, and gained access to a hydrant in a nearby alley that did provide an ample supply, he said.

Kasmari developed a list of all the hydrants the authority maintains in both townships, their location, flow rate and connector size. That information will be placed on an app, allowing responders immediate information in the event that one hydrant is out of order. The app will immediately tell them where the next closest hydrant is located and where they may be able to find a better flow. The townships' EMA will help establish the app, he said.

Another potential problem is with the hydrant connections. Some hydrants would need a Stewart hydrant adapter to make the proper connection between the hydrants and the fire hoses. Kasmari said HVFR and the Sacramento Community Fire Company offered to apply for grants to be able to purchase Stewart hydrant adapters for the entire system. If the fire departments can get the grants and the adapters, Kasmari said the authority would assist in getting them on the hydrants.

Kasmari; Brent Smith, assistant manager, and Cherie Leese, office staff secretary, agreed to make their cellphone numbers available so they could be reached after hours in case of an emergency. Kasmari said he would continue to update the emergency response plans.

Romberger commended Kasmari's efforts to get everyone together for a meeting and to address the questions presented in the review.

In other business, Romberger said the authority was scoring the proposals presented by four firms interested in the design of the joint townships' sewage treatment system. Three firms put in proposals for both the wastewater treatment plant and the collection system; one company was only interested in the wastewater treatment plant.

The company names and proposal amounts were not released. Once the engineering contract is granted, then that information would become available to the public, solicitor Paul J. Datte, Pottsville, reported at last month's meeting.

Authority Engineer Frederick E. Ebert, of Ebert Engineering, suggested the board hold interviews with the engineering firms on April 11.

The authority will be submitting written questions to the companies and ask for a written response to be returned by April 5, prior to the April 11 interview.

The authority continues to seek loan funding from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service program. June 26 is the PennVEST loan closing target date. The board authorized Ebert to complete the questionnaire, as required for the USDA RUS funding.

The PennVEST loan could be for up to 20 years; the USDA RUS funding could be up to 40 years at an interest rate of approximately 3.375 to 4.25 percent, depending on how the townships are rated, as intermediate or market rate.

Hegins Township Supervisor Bruce Klouser asked if the authority could provide the township with information on the joint sewer project's progress. The authority agreed the townships, including Hubley, could receive information from the authority through its redacted engineer's report, which would spell out most of the details on the project.

Klouser also asked about the life span of grinder pumps for the sewer system and if homes with a 60 amp electric service would be able to run them. Ebert suggested the life span is in the five- to seven-year range, and said that most homes would probably need a 100 amp service. However, Ebert said the amp service question is not a matter for the authority, but for the townships' code enforcement officers.

The board entered into a 15-minute executive session to discuss personnel and real estate matters.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6007

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