Hanover Tp Thanks First Responders With a Park

 First Responders Park is the product of the efforts of, from left to right, Supervisors John Diacogiannis, Michael Prendeville, Mark Tanczos and Jack Nagle, as well as Manager Jay Finnigan. Supervisor Steve Salvesen was unable to attend. 

Numerous Lehigh Valley municipalities think pretty poorly of your own need for public safety. Many of them have no police, choosing to let you wait for the time it takes Pennsylvania State Police to respond to what could be a life-and-death emergency. You could live in Bath Borough,which has scheduled a special Town hall. Or you could live in Allentown, whose fire engines are breaking down because Mayor Edwin "Fed Ed" Pawlowski slashed their operating budget by 65.52% since 2008. That's just a tragedy waiting to happen. But things are different in Hanover Township, which is blessed with excellent police, fire and emergency medical protection. Instead of ignoring or maligning them, Hanover Township thanked its first responders on Saturday with a park named after them.

A large contingent of Colonial Regional officers came,including retired Chhief Dan Spang.  

Supervisor Michel Prendeville came up with the name for this park, which was built almost entirely with grant money.

Firefighters, cops and EMS personnel pose together. The white-shirted man in the center is
Joseph Moser,a 48-year veteran of the Hanover Tp Volunteer Fire Co.  

As the park was being dedicated, sirens wailed all over because first responders were spending their Saturday morning drilling for a hospital disaster that hopefully will never happen.

Prendeville's stirring words:

"Thank you for turning towards things that most people turn from. Thank you for bringing and maintaining order in times of chaos. Thank you for providing compassion for complete strangers in a time of dire need. Thank you for making the world a better place. Thank you for being role models. Thank you for the countless hours of training and education. Thank you for protecting us. Thank you for making us feel safe. Thank you for providing service above self. There is no greater contribution to society than to be in the service of others."

Colonial Regional Police Chief Roy Seiple said that, unlike many other communities, Hanover Township has always gone out of its way to make first responders feel welcome. "The last few years have been very difficult for men and women in law enforcement," said Seiple. "Officers have been preyed upon at an alarming rate." In the midst of all the controversy over police nationwide, Chief Seiple said he arrived at work one morning to see the yellow line replaced with a black and blue line painted in the road outside of the police station.

Jim Millot is the Township Engineer who turned this dream into reality, on time
and under budget. He always claimed he was"on target," which became a running
joke for Supervisors.But it is an apt description of township governance.  

That was Prendeville's idea, too.

Seiple thanked the people of Hanover Township

After the event was over, Finnigan told me first responders will be able to visit the park for free.

So will every one else.

He also told me the Township is considering naming something after me - a dumpster.

The colors of Colonial Regional and Hanover Tp Volunteer firefighters are unfurled.