Kyle firefighters only have a handful of vehicles, including a regular fire truck with no ladder, a 2,000-gallon tender truck for taking water to areas that lack hydrants and brush trucks designed to tackle grass fires.

The new vehicle has a ladder with a 75-foot reach that will allow operators to get over apartment buildings, flooded roadways and other dangerous situations more quickly.

Tipler for years had received fire protection services from its neighbor to the south, the town of Long Lake.

But Long Lake officials wanted to increase Tipler’s annual $6,000 fee to more than double the amount, according to minutes from Tipler’s annual town meeting in April 2017. Residents at the meeting unanimously rejected a proposal to raise the tax levy to cover the extra cost, according to the minutes.

Long Lake Town Chairman Bill Streu confirmed his board asked Tipler for more fire protection funds, but he pointed out the fee hadn’t been increased in 10 years and his board had been willing to negotiate the cost with Tipler.

But Tipler officials in November 2017 voted to create their own fire department when the contract with Long Lake expired in March, according to meeting minutes.