DERRY TOWNSHIP, MIFFLIN COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — Highland Park Hose and East Derry Township Fire Companies announced today that they plan to merge by January of 2020.

The name of the new department will be Chief Logan Volunteer Fire Department. The decision to join the companies was a no brainer for both sides.

“We’ll still maintain the same coverage areas so there will be no change there, nobody is going to lose any fire protection…in the long term this is going to improve the service we’re already providing to the same citizens.”

Ed Mann, Fire Chief, East Derry Fire Company

With dwindling numbers in Volunteer Fire Companies across Pennsylvania, both sides knew this was an inevitable decision and decided to make it happen sooner rather than later.

“A lot of this is being done with an eye on the future, not so much with what’s going on today but what things are going to be like in the next 3-5 years.”

Ed Mann, Fire Chief, East Derry Fire Company