Apparatus at the town's four fire departments are in need of an upgrade, according to Berlin Fire Department Chief Jim Simons, who also serves as the town's fleet manager and its fire safety administrator. The departments are asking for the purchase of two major items -- a pumper truck and a ladder truck. The price tag is approximately $1.6 million.
The good news, however, is that $920,000 remains from a bond that was authorized in 2006 to replace fire equipment. The town is looking to borrow $700,000 to cover the rest of the bill. A public hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m. regarding the bond.
Mayor Mark Kaczynski said he had a meeting with Simons and representatives from the four departments (Berlin, East Berlin, Kensington and South Kensington) and that they presented a "great plan" that was going to cost the town some money up front, but in the long run would produce savings, and most importantly, provide the fire stations and their crews with what they need.
"Spending some money to buy some new equipment, that's always going to happen," Kaczynski said.
Town Manager Denise McNair said a committee, over the past year, looked at all the apparatus at each of the four stations to see what needed to be replaced. The goal, she added, was to get all departments using the same equipment.
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