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On behalf of its Department of Emergency Services, Lebanon County Commissioners formally accepted transfer of hazmat equipment from a former Lancaster County-based service provider at its Thursday, Aug. 6 meeting.
The equipment and other gear has a market value of approximately $100,000 to $150,000 and was donated to Lebanon County by Hazmat 2 Environmental Fire Rescue Co. of Landisville, according to Bob Dowd, director of Lebanon County DES.
Dowd told commissioners that DES will pay Hazmat 2, which has turned into an education-based foundation, just over $27,000 for a drone and the lease balance on two vehicles. The drone payment is $6,000 and the lease payments total $21,018.92.
Those payments will come from the department’s existing hazmat fund at no cost to Lebanon County taxpayers.
The county has taken possession of a 1995 Simon-Duplex Fire Rescue Truck, a 1999 Ford ambulance, two 2021 Ram 2500 Response vehicles, a 2019 enclosed trailer, and a DJI M4T drone, which have a combined estimated total market value between $100,000 and $150,000, according to Dowd.
Lebanon County solicitor Matt Bugli, who crafted the memorandum of agreement on behalf of Lebanon County DES, noted the transaction was prompted by Lebanon County taking over hazmat responses there in 2025.
As noted in a July 2025 LebTown exclusive, Lebanon County DES officials were in discussions with Lancaster County officials to take over hazmat services there. Permission was granted by Lebanon County Commissioners in August and the agreement was signed in October, which formally ended Lancaster County’s arrangement with Hazmat 2.
“As the board’s aware, the board entered into an agreement with Lancaster County last year to provide hazmat mitigation services in Lancaster County in addition to Lebanon County,” Bugli said. “They have endeavored to donate most of their existing items to the county of Lebanon to be used in Lebanon and Lancaster counties.”
Read More:
- (July 2025) LebTown exclusive: Lebanon County provides hazmat services to Lancaster
- (July 2025) Commissioners discuss mutual aid agreement with Lancaster County
- (Aug. 2025) Lebanon County to pursue a hazmat agreement with Lancaster County
- (Oct. 2025) Lebanon County inks hazmat services agreement with Lancaster County
The donation was made so those assets can be used by Lebanon County officials for calls in both counties.
“When the (Lancaster) county elected to no longer contract with them, they went through several different phases of trying to figure out what they’re going to do next. They are transitioning into an education foundation and no longer will need their physical assets,” Dowd said. “So they, as a board, moved to donate their physical assets to us to continue to serve the region. So it’s an excellent opportunity for us and for them to make sure that the stuff that they work for continues to be an asset available in the area.”
Dowd noted that Lebanon County has mitigated 21 hazmat calls in Lancaster County, with an average response time of 38 minutes.
“That is significantly better than what they were seeing,” Dowd told commissioners. “Pennsylvania law says two hours. That’s the maximum allowed response time for a hazmat team in Pennsylvania.”
Dowd noted there are differences between emergency and hazmat calls.
“Hazmat is a much different thing than fire response. It tends to be a more slow, researched approach because every situation is so unique. So that while they’re responding, they’re already working through the scenario of understanding what it is they’re going into, reactions, types of equipment they’re going to need,” he explained.
Other county business
In other business, commissioners unanimously voted unless otherwise noted to:
- Accept the treasurer’s report, including a beginning cash balance of $3,140,208.43, plus receipts of $234,264.95, less expenditures of $1,260,895.84, and less tax claim of $4,328.44 for an ending cash balance of $2,109,249.10. The ending balance includes Aug. 7’s county employee payroll.
- Agree to pay 18 contract amendments totaling $94,643 for fiscal year 2025-26 for Mental Health/Intellectual Disabilities/Early Intervention and another six amendments totaling $36,373 for fiscal year 2026-27.
- Accept an easement with the federal government for a county-owned bridge on Indiantown Gap Road at the military installation’s cemetery. Commissioner Jo Ellen Litz voted no.
- Approve an agricultural conservation easement of 83.76 acres on a North Annville Township farm owned by Randy and Anne Leisure.
- Proclaim August as Child Support Awareness month. The proclamation noted that Lebanon County disbursed $15.4 million to families and collected over 82% of support due. Lebanon County Domestic Relations will hold an awareness day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14, at the courthouse. Families are encouraged to attend.
- Hire 25 private drivers and four companies to provide medical transports to individuals with Access cards through the Medical Assistance Transportation program from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The program is provided through the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
- Provide hotel tax grant funding totaling $3,600 to the Lancaster Kennel Club for Agility Trials on Sept. 26-27 at In the Net Sports Complex, Palmyra.
- Hire Maria Bojarcheck on a part-time contract basis to work three hours per day in the Register of Wills office to help fill a void due to staff vacancies and an increase in departmental services, including marriage licenses.
- Exempt 11 veterans or their families from real estate tax.
- Grant various personnel transactions.
- Approve minutes for the July 16 meeting, July 22 executive session, and July 29 workshop.
Next meeting
The next meeting of Lebanon County Commissioners is on Thursday, Aug. 20, at 9:30 a.m. in Room 207 of the Lebanon County Municipal Building, 400 S. 8th St., Lebanon. Commissioners meet the first and third Thursday of the month.
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