BRATTLEBORO - The unexpected need to replace a fire truck - at a cost of at least $525,000 - comes as a 'surprise' at the start of the town's yearly budgeting process. 'We certainly didn't expect that it would have to be taken off the road ...
"We certainly didn't expect that it would have to be taken off the road immediately, literally overnight," Town Manager Peter Elwell told the Select Board at a meeting Tuesday. "It's our reserve pumper."
With a cracked frame and lots of rust, the 1998 Freightliner 3D failed inspection.
The pumper, which was expected to be replaced in fiscal 2020, would cost about $525,000 to replace. The vehicle is "rapidly deteriorating," according to Elwell.
Chief Mike Bucossi and Assistant Chief Len Howard discussed options with Elwell, coming up with a recommendation to purchase a combined pumper/rescue vehicle as a replacement for about $550,000.
The topic will be brought to the Select Board again soon. The town is currently in budget talks.
"We took a look at the capital plan as we had proposed it just two weeks ago," Elwell said. "Obviously, the sacrifices that would have to be made to take half a million dollars out of that plan to buy a pumper would be very severe, affecting multiple different other requests that have benefit to the community in various ways."
The town has four pumpers, including the damaged vehicle. Two of them are considered reserves. Losing one would compromise the town's pumping capacity, according to Elwell.
With the number of volunteer firefighters dwindling in outlying towns, there was concern about relying more on other departments in a mutual aid agreement. That could leave Brattleboro vulnerable in the instance of a structure fire, Elwell said.