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Firefighters Hope to Bring Two Tractor Trailers Full of Donations to Harvey Victims

WEST HAZLETON — Firefighters from the Hazleton area are trying to collect two tractor trailers full of donations to deliver to Hurricane Harvey victims. F...

WEST HAZLETON -- Firefighters from the Hazleton area are trying to collect two tractor trailers full of donations to deliver to Hurricane Harvey victims.

Firefighters in Hazleton and West Hazleton said they know what it is like to get a call for help when disaster strikes, which is why it doesn’t matter if it’s near or far, these firefighters want to lend a helping hand.

“You can't imagine the danger that they're facing to rescue these people, to evacuate them from the zones that are flooded out,” Tony Colombo, president of Hazleton Heights Fire Company and a Captain at West Hazleton Fire Department, said.

Colombo started leading the effort to collect everything from non-perishable foods to cleaning supplies on Wednesday. Already, firefighters have a full box truck worth of goods.

“It's great seeing that no matter how far away we are that we're helping each other, whether we're a small community or a large community,” West Hazleton firefighter Brandon Cressman said.

Firefighters said there are 13 different donation sites on board, ranging from Freeland to Bloomsburg. Tony is hoping to load up two tractor trailers and take donations down south in October.

“Tony and his crew of henchmen, as I call them, have always come together and helped everyone,” Hazleton firefighter John McNeal said.

This isn't the first time firefighters from across the Hazleton area have stepped up to help others across the country. After 9/11, firefighters collected donations and they have been helping Katrina victims in Louisiana for years.

“When we got to Louisiana last year, the people saw the truck and when the doors opened, they were ecstatic,” Colombo said.

Even though Colombo and his crew have experience when it comes to collection efforts, he said nothing can prepare you for the devastation displaced people are living through.

“We ask everybody to keep the rescuers, the people that are affected in your prayers and pray that everything gets better for them,” Colombo said.

If you would like to donate, you can visit:

  • McAdoo Fire Company: 34 N Kennedy Dr, McAdoo
  • Hazleton City Fire Department: 525 East Broad Street, Hazleton
  • West Hazleton Fire Department: 12 S 4th St, West Hazleton
  • Hazle Township Fire Department: 1113 N Church St, Hazle Township
  • Freeland Fire Department: Centre Street, Freeland
  • Kulpmont Fire Department: 11 N 8th St, Kulpmont, PA
  • Washington Fire Station of Danville: 400 Railroad St, Danville, PA
  • Espy Fire Department: 300 Tenny St, Bloomsburg, PA
  • Bonanza Steakhouse Restaurant: 574 Susquehanna Blvd, Hazleton, PA
  • Berger Family Dealerships: 508 Susquehanna Blvd, Hazle Township, PA
  • Aggressive Realty and Rental: 314 S Main St, Conyngham, PA
  • Rovnack Auto Sales: 635 PA-93, Sugarloaf, PA
  • APTS American Patient Transport Systems: 119 E Holly St, Hazleton, PA

The donation drive ends on September 29.

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