By Zenaida Mendez
Daily Record
WASHINGTON TWP. — For the second consecutive year, the Schooley’s Mountain
and Fairmount fire companies have requested that the township committee purchase a new
pumper truck for each department.
According to township fire Chief Kurt Wanner, the companies’ trucks — one
from 1982 and one from 1983 — have reached their life expectancy.
"Safety features change, and requirements change," Wanner said. "Not
only are the trucks old in age and deteriorating, there’s the issue of getting more
up-to-date equipment."
He has asked the committee to purchase new trucks at a cost of $727,000 after trade-in
of the old ones.
Those new vehicles would come equipped with antilock brakes, which would make it easier
for firefighters to maneuver through hills and narrow roads. Both vehicles would also come
with a transmission retarder, another feature to help slow the truck around curves and
hills.
Committee member Margaret Nordstrom said municipal officials will try to fund the
purchase of both trucks.
"I think we’re really going to have to do something about those two pumper
trucks; they’re way past their prime," she said. "We try to replace fire
trucks on a regular basis; we don’t want to get behind on maintaining that fleet of
emergency vehicles."
The last truck purchased for any township fire company was in 1998 when the committee
bought a pumper truck for the Long Valley Fire Company.
Wanner said the existing trucks are in good operating condition, but they become less
reliable with age, even if they’re well-maintained.
Additionally, the older trucks do not comply with newer regulations. For example, the
Schooley’s Mountain pumper truck has an open-canopy cab, so firefighters are
essentially outside, but new requirements state that firefighters should ride in an
enclosed cab.
The obsolete Fairmount Fire Company truck can only carry two firefighters, but Wanner
said at least five emergency personnel should be on hand.
"Twenty years ago ,(two) was OK, but new requirements call for two people, geared
up, ready to go into the building, two outside to rescue the firefighters if they need it,
and one running the truck."
Wanner said a new truck could carry a minimum of six people.
While the 2002 budget has not been prepared yet, the committee will be meeting with
department heads in the coming weeks to hear what the needs are.
Last year, the committee declined the fire chief’s request for two pumper trucks
in favor of other capital improvement projects.
"It just didn’t fit in last year, but we were understanding," Wanner
said. "We let them know that’s where we are. Now we’ll just have to wait
and see what happens," he added.
Nordstrom said the committee might look at leasing or lease-purchasing one of the
pumper trucks, but those details have not been worked out yet.
