Lehighton hopes to receive a grant for emergency service radios for its police and fire departments.

Borough Manager Dane DeWire said the amount requested was $729,753, and added it would be for both the police department and the fire department.

“These digital radios will allow our first responders to access the digital frequency which the county (Carbon) is moving toward in the future,” DeWire said.

In January, neighboring Walnutport received an additional $20,000 Northampton County public safety grant for radios for Walnutport Borough’s police and fire departments.

In November, Walnutport Borough Council approved the purchase of 40 emergency service radios for the police and fire departments through a statewide LSA grant of up to $200,000.

Walnutport Borough Council in October received $150,000 to buy the radios for the police and fire departments.

In November 2023, borough grant coordinator Michael Wentz, who also serves as fire chief of Diamond Fire Company in Walnutport, said the Lehigh County Communications Center will be changing radio frequencies, which means the borough has to buy all new radios.

He said at that time if the borough wouldn’t receive a grant, to equip the police department alone would cost the borough $130,000.

Wentz said the Diamond Fire Company has to do the same, and added that cost is projected at $240,000.

He said at that time the plan was to apply for a $300,000 grant; of that, $170,000 would be for the fire company and $130,000 for the police department.