435 Hamilton Street  
Allentown, Pa. 18101  
Allentown  
Minutes - Final  
Public Safety Committee  
Wednesday, March 19, 2025  
6:15 PM  
Council Chambers  
Roll Call: Chair Affa, Zucal, Mota  
15-7544  
Bill 19  
Amending the 2025 Fire Department budget to provide for a supplemental  
appropriation of Eighteen Thousand Dollars ($18,000.00) from the Norfolk  
Southern Rail, Safety-First grant. These funds will be used to purchase  
hazardous materials-related equipment for incidents that may occur as a  
result of a railway incident along the Norfolk Southern railway that runs  
through the City of Allentown.  
Administration  
Sponsors:  
Attachments: Bill 19 Norfolk Southern Grant Appropriation  
Ordinance #16109.pdf  
Dr. Cynthia Mota stated before we start, she would like to make a note that  
Ms. Affa is on the phone and Mr. Zucal.  
Mr. Michael Hanlon stated that he is absent.  
Dr. Cynthia Mota stated ok, let's start.  
Chief Efrain Agosto stated good evening Council and this is again, a grant  
that was issued to us by Norfolk Southern. He repeated what was stated  
there to purchase hazardous materials. This is no different than what they  
received last year. Only a few thousand dollars more.  
Dr. Cynthia Mota asked if there were any comments from the dais.  
Ms. Candida Affa stated that she would like to make a comment and asked  
if this is because of the train that goes through the city of Allentown in case  
anything would happen like in Ohio or whatever. She asked is this what we  
are using it for.  
Chief Efrain Agosto stated that it is basically to get equipment that is going  
to be able to assist us just in case of a rail incident and have to train. He  
stated that this actually outfits the hazardous materials team also what  
some meters or what with some foam and other items that will be  
applicable to an incident down at the rail yard.  
Ms. Candida Affa stated not just the rail yard, could it be used for anything  
else, like a truck with hazardous materials.  
Chief Efrain Agosto stated something that goes on a Hazmat truck and can  
actually be used out on a highway or with any of the responses from the city  
that may be labeled as a hazard material incident.  
Ms. Candida Affa stated that is good to have. Thank you.  
Dr. Cynthia Mota thanked Ms. Affa. She asked if there were any other  
comments from the dais. She asked if there were any comments from the  
public. She stated that she needs a recommendation. She stated that she  
needs a second.  
Mr. Michael Hanlon stated you are the only second.  
A motion was made by Candida Affa, seconded by Cynthia Mota, that this Bill be  
forwarded to the full Council.  
2 - Candida Affa and Cynthia Mota  
1 - Ed Zucal  
Yes:  
Absent:  
Discussion of R35. This is scheduled to be considered at the full council meeting that  
follows.  
15-7582  
R35  
Lehigh Valley 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Municipal Adoption  
Resolution.  
Attachments: R35 - Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Adoption  
2024-Lehigh-Valley-Multijurisdictional-Hazard-Mitigation-Plan-updated-  
10-11-2024  
Resolution #31029.pdf  
Mr. Michael Hanlon stated that R35 is to be voted on tonight and the chair  
thought you might want to take a look at it at this committee meeting  
beforehand to see if you have any questions. He stated that the Resolution  
basically adopts the Lehigh Valley 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan.  
Dr. Cynthia Mota asked if there are any comments from the dais.  
Chief Efrain Agosto stated that he can have the Deputy Chief and  
Emergency Management Coordinator speak to this hazardous mitigation.  
Dr. Cynthia Mota thanked Chief Efrain Agosto.  
Deputy Fire Chief Matt Eharth stated that this Plan has been adopted since  
2008. It is nothing new. It is just updated every five years. The last time we  
did it, here in the city was 2019. In 2024, the county represented or brought  
out the new one and it is just time for them to adopt it. He stated that it is a  
key part of grant funding. It is a check box essentially, we are going to play  
nice and if we adopt this, it will just continue the relationships between the  
city, the county, PEMA, FEMA, and all the way up.  
Dr. Cynthia Mota asked if there are any changes, anything new.  
Deputy Fire Chief Matt Eharth stated that it is basically small stuff. It is  
basically more case study stuff. Any incidents that happened between  
2019 to 2024 would be in there. He stated that it is a long-winded  
document. He stated that he understands. It would be like if it was a  
flooding event, or droughting.  
Dr. Cynthia Mota stated what to do.  
Deputy Fire Chief Matt Eharth stated that would be in there. Just as a case  
study.  
Dr. Cynthia Mota stated oh, ok.  
Deputy Fire Chief Matt Eharth stated that it is not much changes. It is just  
legality to keep it up to date.  
Ms. Candida Affa stated that she has no questions.  
Dr. Cynthia Mota stated that she understands. She asked if there were any  
comments from the dais.  
Ms. Candida Affa stated no, she has none.  
Dr. Cynthia Mota asked if there were any comments from the public. She  
stated thank you and asked if there was anything else he would like to talk  
about or inform them.  
Chief Efrain Agosto stated that they have nothing else. He stated that there  
was a fire earlier this morning and two firefighters were injured. They were  
seen and were released.  
Dr. Cynthia Mota asked where was it at.  
Chief Efrain Agosto stated 119 N. 13th Street. It remained in one structure,  
but it was a little bit of a headache on how it continued to flow from the  
basement to the upper roof areas. It just took a little bit to contain so they  
called it a third alarm. They kept it to the one structure. The fire itself with  
the two adjoining structures and absolute amount of smoke and water  
damage. The displacement was not a large amount of people. It was  
maybe one or two. He stated two individuals that were displaced in the  
fire.  
Dr. Cynthia Mota stated correct her if she is wrong. She has noticed that  
they have been having more fires, lately.  
Ms. Candida Affa stated that she was just going to mention that Cynthia. It  
seems like 2024, they really had a lot of rashes and going into 2025 now.  
Chief Efrain Agosto stated basically if you look at the record and the  
reports that the Fire Department put out, it is not much more than last year  
then any other year. It ebbs and flows and sometimes it appears. He  
stated that last year they had more larger scale fires that was deemed as  
third line, but you have to remember that sometimes three alarm fires aren't  
necessary called because of the severity of fires sometimes. It ends up  
being that we need more manpower to assist. Today, the guys were  
beaten down to an extent. They had two injuries, along with that they have  
several incidents that occurred that created that environment so a third  
alarm a lot of the time is called just to assist for manpower. Fires occur  
and if they look at it historically and it is still between the last four or five  
years, it hasn't changed much, but it seems to be larger because of the  
displacement in the few that they had.  
Dr. Cynthia Mota stated that she got it.  
Chief Efrain Agosto stated that is more to that story and that is something  
to be discussed once they do the critiques on the fires themselves and start  
looking at it. He stated that it is more the housing environment, more of the  
individuals that are in the structures. Sometimes it is just more people  
living in one residential structure that was meant to be for one family and  
they have been split up to multiple units so they have multiple families within  
a structure so it seems that it is larger. It is not necessarily larger. It is just  
larger on the displacement end.  
Dr. Cynthia Mota stated that she also feels that way because it is so close  
to each other. She stated you know what she means. She stated when you  
hear of a fire and three weeks goes by and you hear about another one, it  
is like wow. She stated that is why it feels that way.  
Chief Efrain Agosto stated again, the media publicizes it and purses it out  
a little bit quicker and then it becomes a little bit more of a news story  
during that period of time. It becomes for everyone to see, but the city has  
fires and sometimes you will never hear about them because they are  
labeled as a working fire and they do not get beyond the second or third  
alarm. A lot of times, you don't even hear about them. As far as the  
numbers go, it hasn't been much more then what they typically are on a  
yearly basis. Right now, it is quick early in the year then sometimes it will  
settle down a little bit and then go up again. He stated that there are no  
rhyme or reasons, the fires. He stated that is just the reality of it. Dr.  
Cynthia Mota thanked Chief Agosto.  
Ms. Candida Affa stated that one of the major ones that took out almost the  
whole block was arson. It was domestic, wasn't? She stated that got a lot  
of publicity. She stated that it set four to five homes, didn't it.  
Chief Efrain Agosto stated yes it did. That it did.  
Ms. Candida Affa stated she guesses that is what it was. More major ones  
this year or more that they are aware of then any other year.  
Chief Efrain Agosto stated that is correct.  
Dr. Cynthia Mota asked if there were any other comments from the dais.  
Ms. Candida Affa stated how important it is to pay attention to the budget  
and what the Chief needs and what the Fire Department needs, whether it  
be the trucks because as far as she is concerned, they are doing one hell  
of a job. They are containing these huge fires with the four and five. She  
stated so many families living in one and it is congested areas and she  
thinks as Council people who can help out with a budget, she thinks they  
really have to pay attention to firefighters and all the equipment and pay  
attention to the Chief and what they really need to keep our city safe. She  
thanked them for everything that they do. It is one hell of a job.  
Dr. Cynthia Mota stated that she shares the same sentiment. They do a  
wonderful job. They take a lot of pride in what they do, definitely.  
Ms. Candida Affa stated that she doesn't think it is ever wasted money  
when they put money into something like the fire department. She stated  
Chief, hopefully, Council has your back.  
Dr. Cynthia Mota thanked Ms. Affa.  
Chief Efrain Agosto stated that they appreciate that and stated thank you  
very much.  
Adjournment: 6:27 PM