Officials Discuss Fire Companies' Cooperation

Municipal managers Cathy Kichline and Jack Cahalan told members of the Hellertown-Lower Saucon Chamber of Commerce Sept. 27 that local volunteer fire companies cooperate extensively with one another.

The day after Se-Wy-Co and Leithsville volunteer fire companies announced their formal merger--the first in the history of Northampton County--Hellertown Borough Manager Cathy Kichline and Lower Saucon Township Manager Jack Cahalan discussed how the Saucon Valley's four all-volunteer companies continue to cooperate to better serve local residents. In a presentation to members of the Hellertown-Lower Saucon Chamber of Commerce that focused on projects involving intermunicipal cooperation, Cahalan said necessity has been a driving force behind the movement toward fire company consolidation. Years ago, he said, many of the volunteer members of Se-Wy-Co, Steel City, Southeastern and Dewey fire companies worked shifts at Bethlehem Steel, which …

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Chief Praises Residents' Response to Storm

On Nov. 5 Hellertown Police Chief Robert Shupp thanked members of the public for remaining calm during the recent power outage that lasted for up to a week for some residents.

In a situation that was extremely trying for many local families, calm and order prevailed, Hellertown Police Chief Robert Shupp told Borough Council Nov. 5. Shupp praised residents for reacting stoically in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, whose high winds left much of the borough in the dark for days. "This was hard," he said. "I would like to thank the public, because everybody really took this in stride." "I don't think we had one call that was involving an argument or a fight at a gas station or something like that," he added. "It was nice to see that nobody acted out or anything like that." Shupp credited the fact that Dewey Fire Co. Social Hall was opened as a heated comfort station for residents for helping improve the situation…

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Hellertown Welcomes Home a Hero

Wounded Army Spec. Aaron Nelson received a hero's welcome at Dewey Fire Company in Hellertown Saturday. He was escorted to the station by the Warriors' Watch Riders, local police and firefighters.

On Saturday, November 3, 2012, a true American hero received a special surprise in Hellertown. Army Specialist Aaron Nelson, who was wounded in Afghanistan last year, was escorted to a surprise "welcome home" party at the Dewey Fire Co. Social Hall. Nelson, 24, was wounded by an IED on Sept. 11, 2011, and has spent the past year convalescing overseas. He was escorted from Freedom High School in Bethlehem Township to the Hellertown gathering by local motorcycle police, firefighters and about 50 members of the Warriors’ Watch Riders motorcycle group. Dozens of family members, friends and supporters lined Durham Street, where they waved flags, held signs, cheered and shed a few tears as the convoy that accompanied Nelson roared into the Dewey…

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Photos: Dewey Fire Co. Open House

The open house held at Dewey Fire Co. No. 1 in Hellertown Oct. 16 was a family-friendly affair. There were activities for kids, raffles, giveaways and demonstrations--all for the purposes of fire safety and education.

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Fire Chief Offers Quarterly Report

Hellertown Fire Chief Rick Delmore of Dewey Fire Co. told borough council Oct. 1 that the number of calls the company has so far responded to in 2012 is lower than it was at the same time last year.

Fire calls so far this year are down when compared year-over-year with the same point in 2011, but that's not a surprise, Hellertown Fire Chief Rick Delmore of Dewey Fire Co. No. 1 told borough council Oct. 1. Delmore said Dewey volunteers had responded to 202 calls as of Sept. 30, whereas last year they'd responded to 275 calls by the end of September. Sixty of those calls, however, were related to flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Irene, which swept through the Saucon Valley in late August 2011. Earlier this year, Delmore told council that Irene and the October snowstorm that darkened Hellertown for days last year helped to make 2011 'a very unusual year.' As part of his quarterly report to council, Delmore announced that …

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Dewey Ambulance Subscriptions Have Been Mailed

Subscriptions for ambulance services provided by the Dewey Fire Co. Ambulance/EMS of Hellertown have been distributed to borough and Lower Saucon Township households.

Subscriptions for 2012-2013 ambulance services provided by Dewey Fire Company Ambulance Squad/EMS of Hellertown were mailed to borough and Lower Saucon Township residents in late August, according to the squad's Basic Life Support supervisor, Christine Lanning. The subscriptions are for the period from Oct. 1, 2012 through Sept. 30, 2013. Local residents who did not receive a mailed form and would like one can pick one up at Hellertown Borough Hall, the Lower Saucon Township Building or by contacting Dewey EMS at 610-838-1677. Signing up for an annual ambulance subscription can help to offset costs not covered by insurance if and when emergency medical transportation is needed.

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Viewfinder

Viewfinder: Dewey Carnival Ends on a High Note

Although rain chased attendees away Friday and postponed the annual fireworks show, Saturday evening was picture-perfect for the conclusion of the Dewey Fire Co. Carnival in Hellertown.

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Upload Your Dewey Carnival Photos Here!

Show off your best photos from Hellertown's 2012 Dewey Fire Company Carnival by uploading them to this gallery. Captions are optional. Log in to your Patch account to upload!

If you have uploaded a carnival photo that you'd like to be featured, please email editor Josh Popichak at josh.popichak@patch.com.

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Josh Popichak

5:30 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Hmm, that's a good question. I don't know if there is an official rule but I'm thinking it might not be the best atmosphere for a dog (even a very well-behaved dog) because of the lights, the noises and the crowds? Obviously a service dog would be allowed. Anybody else know?   more ›

Council Supports Halloween Parade Name Change

The Saucon Valley Halloween Parade will be known as the "Saucon Valley Spirited Community Parade" to facilitate a 2013 partnership with the Four County Firemen's Parade.

A name change is planned for the popular Saucon Valley Halloween Parade, which last year drew record crowds to Main Street in downtown Hellertown. At Borough Council's July 2 meeting, parade committee chairman Dave Heintzelman asked council to support changing the parade's official name to the "Saucon Valley Spirited Community Parade." Heintzelman said the name change will help facilitate a partnership with the Four County Firemen's Parade that will be held in Hellertown in October 2013, in celebration of Dewey Fire Company's 115th anniversary. "I think it's going to be neat to get the whole community involved," Heintzelman said. "This place is going to be hopping." Heintzelman said activities and special events are also being planned in …

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Josh Popichak

10:00 am on Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Hi! We did publish several stories about the deadline for signups, which has passed. The deadline was last Friday. See here: http://patch.com/A-yzGX   more ›

Pet Oxygen Mask Donated to Fire Company

The owners of Puffins Cafe and representatives from Lehigh Valley CART presented a pet oxygen mask to members of Hellertown's Dewey Fire Company No. 1 on May 21.

Local pets and their owners will be breathing a little easier, thanks to the recent donation of a Wag'N O2 Fur Life pet oxygen mask kit to Hellertown's Dewey Fire Company No. 1. The donation was orchestrated by the Lehigh Valley County Animal Response Team (CART), a volunteer organization that is currently working to ensure that all fire companies in Lehigh and Northampton counties are equipped with pet oxygen masks. In many cases, fire departments cannot purchase the masks themselves, since they are often not allowed to purchase equipment that is not designed to save human lives. Dewey's pet oxygen mask kit was purchased with money donated by customers at Puffins Cafe on Route 412 in Bethlehem, where a container for donations explained …

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