City council okays study help for Lock Haven fire company merger
LOCK HAVEN, PA – Two of Lock Haven’s three volunteer fire companies are looking at merging. City council voted Monday night to ask the state for assistance with the merger of the Hand-in-Hand and Hope Hose Fire Companies.
Lock Haven Fire Chief Bob Neff spoke before council and emphasized the planned consolidation is not “hostile” and that the membership of the two companies want to work together. The chief provided additional information to The Record, stating the two companies have been discussing a merger in recent months and a committee will be established to help carry out the consolidation. As explained by Neff, the Hope Hose building on E. Church St. would be vacated and the trucks there would be relocated to an expanded Handies building on N. Henderson St. He said the Hope Hose building would be available for future city use; city officials have discussed the possible relocation of the city police department from City Hall to that structure, but no decisions have been made.
Neff noted that volunteer fire companies have seen decreasing membership all over the state in recent decades and said the state Department of Community and Economic Development will provide assistance to help with merger particulars. Council Monday gave its unanimous approval for that assistance to be provided.
Chief Neff stressed the merger is being undertaken cooperatively between the two companies and said it will be a benefit to fire service, to the city and the community. There will be a new name which he said will be revealed later in the merger process. He noted Hopes is company number two and Handies is number four so the new number will be 42 in recognition of the two companies. Hopes history goes back 135 years, Handies 141 years.
According to information for the Monday council meeting from consultant BuchartHorn, the cost of adding two bays at the existing Hand-in-Hand building is estimated between $1.5 million and $1.8 million.
The Citizens Hose Company on Bellefonte Avenue is not part of the proposed merger.
