New councilor sworn in

Marc Hershey, left, is sworn in as the newest member of Elizabethtown
Borough Council on Monday, Jan. 6, by Mayor Chuck Mummert.

The newest member of Elizabethtown Borough Council was sworn in at the biannual reorganization meeting on Monday, Jan. 6. Marc Hershey was elected without opposition last November. He replaces long-time Counclor Meade Bierly, who retired from office after serving for 40 years. 

Hershey is the treasurer for the Elizabethtown Fire Department and is the finance director for The Hershey Company.

At the meeting, Councilor J. Neil Ketchum was also was sworn in for a second term on council. He has served as council president for the past two years and was elected to serve another two years on Monday. Phil Clark was reelected to another two years as vice president.

Elizabethtown Fire Department receives state recognition



Photo courtesy of Elizabethtown Fire Department

 As a resident of Elizabethtown, it is assuring to know that our first responders have our backs.

Last month, the Elizabethtown Fire Department received word from the state Fire Commissioner's office that it has a 75 percent participation rate in a voluntary state Participating Department Recognition program.

In a letter sent to Borough Council President Neil Ketchum, Fire Chief Jason Bock noted that Elizabethtown is one of four departments in Lancaster County to have a 75 percent rate (the others are Adamstown, Goodwill  in Washington Boro and Maytown/East Donegal). None of the county's 78 departments has a 100 percent rate.

The program recognizes fire departments with personnel who have been certified at one of the accredited levels of the Fire Commissioner's Certification Program. Bock said in his letter that the department has implemented increased training over the past two years to comply with national standards, which are not mandatory.

"I am proud to announce that 94% of our active firefighters have met or exceeded nationally recognized and sanctioned Professional Qualification standards!" Bock wrote.

He added that the certification will provide additional points during the review process for state grants, giving Elizabethtown increased opportunities when competing for grants from federal sources.

Moreover, for residents, "This certification provides a peace-of-mind knowing that the firefighters protecting your friends and family have been independently certified by a third party as having met or exceeded national firefighting standards. It can also have a positive affect on the community's Insurance Service Office (ISO) rating as well as other possible financial advantages."

The news about the fire department comes on the heels of news from the Elizabethtown Police Department. Last  month, two officers taking on new roles, and then a coordinated effort with state and federal agencies resulted in a large drug bust that netted 17 arrests.

I don't  know about you, but I am  grateful for the efforts that our emergency personnel put into keeping us as safe as possible.

Elizabethtown Fire Department 2010 video roundup

The Elizabethtown Fire Department does a great job for our community. Here's a video the department posted on its website with highlights from 2010.

Suspicious package destroyed at Elizabethtown Public Library

Emergency responders destroyed a suspicious package at the rear of the Elizabethtown Public Library late Saturday afternoon.

The Elizabethtown Police Department received a call about the package at about 4 p.m. I had taken my son to the library at about 4:15 to find a book and to pick up one reserved for my wife when we noticed a police car blocking access to the parking lot at the rear of the library. Yellow police tape blocked the back entrance to the building.

No one stopped us from getting in through the front door, and we headed to the second floor for my son to find a book. In less than 5 minutes, a librarian approached us and told us that we had to evacuate the building. On the sidewalk out front, the scuttlebutt was something about a suspicious package. By the time my son and I walked to the municipal parking lot in the back, the borough's fire siren was sounding to summon the Elizabethtown Fire Department, and its officer in charge was on the scene.

Police Chief Jack Mentzer later confirmed that police and library staff could not confirm that the package was not legitimate and evacuated the library and the buildings adjacent to that location. Officers then called in a bomb dog and the Pennsylvania State Police bomb squad. The dog did not detect traditional explosives from the package.

State police X-rayed the package and recommended that it be exploded in place by were found to included clothing and magazines.

I think we've all heard stories about suspicious packages that have met a similar fate, only to find the contents innocuous. But in the age when the Transportation Safety Administration will frisk your grandma when she flies to Omaha, it's clear that being cautious is a necessity.