MONTAGUE – The Turners Falls Fire Department is going through the process to try to replace a 30-year-old ladder truck. A Sept. 5 information session is going to be held for the public’s questions, concerns and comments regarding the ladder truck replacement, said Fire Chief John Zellmann.
The estimated cost will not exceed $950,000, according to Zellmann, who explained the truck will be a demo model rather than a new truck, which could cost about $1.1 million and would take about two months to build.
The purchase will only affect those in the Turners Falls Fire District and requires a two-thirds majority to pass. Both the Finance Committee and the Prudential Committee support the purchase of a truck.
“We’ve done a lot of research,” Zellmann said. “It’s still a lot of money, but it’s for a few reasons. Our current ladder truck is approaching 30 years old this year, and there are mounting repair bills.”
The current ladder truck is a 1989 75-foot Pierce Arrow Quint, named for its five tools it provides firefighters including a pump and fire hose, water tank, ground ladder and aerial device.
He said there are about $33,000 to $40,000 worth of repairs that need to be done including engine/transmission overheating repairs, water leaking in ladder pipes and valve repairs.
“The repairs add up, it doesn’t make sense to put money into it,” Zellmann said.
He said he’s been working to replace the truck since 2016. The National Fire Protection Association recommends replacing frontline vehicles every 10 to 15 years. But Turners Falls Fire Department replaces vehicles every 30 years on average, according to Zellmann.
“We replace them every 30 years, because we can’t spend $1 million every 10 years,” Zellmann said. “And we take good care of our vehicles. We get them tested and recertified annually.”
The 30-year-old truck has failed the recertification test for the past three years.
The ladder truck is necessary because the Insurance Services Office, which sets insurance rates, reports the Turners Falls Fire District requires a ladder truck.
“We have multiple three story buildings and buildings that require more than 3,500 gallons per minute to extinguish a fire,” Zellmann said. “So that qualifies us to have a ladder truck for the safety of our residents” and firefighters.
He said if the department had no ladder truck, the community’s insurance rates would go up 25 percent.
“We plan on keeping this truck for 30 years,” Zellmann said. “We don’t take this lightly, we’ve done research. We had a demo truck here and took it out and operated it.”
The information session will be held on Sept. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the public safety complex community room. The special district meeting will be on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. in the Turners Falls High School auditorium.