In a presentation to board members Aug. 15, Lake George Fire Chief Jason Berry described how the village’s present 1995 aerial tower fire truck with a 70-foot ladder had deteriorated, and a new one with a taller reach was needed.

Berry requested that the board authorize purchase of a current model that he and other fire department officers recommend: a demonstrator aerial truck that costs $955,000, or about $145,000 less than the price of a new model. The demonstrator, however, is outfitted with hoses and other firefighting equipment, unlike the factory-fresh models.

Berry detailed the deteriorated condition of the department’s 1995 tower truck, which has been out of service for about six weeks.

“There are stress fractures in its superstructure, it’s aerial lift cradle needs repair, and its fly boom needs replacement,” Berry said. “The ladder bucks and sags when fully extended, the pump input shaft leaks terribly, and the undercarriage is very rusty.”

He predicted that repairing the village’s tower truck to get it back in service would cost at least $32,000 to $41,000. He said that if it were repaired, the village’s investment in rehabilitating it would exceed $84,000.

He estimated that the 1995 truck, with minimal repairs, would have a trade-in value of $40,000 to $50,000 — but in its present condition, would garner only $10,000.

“Dumping more money into the current aerial truck would be pointless,” Berry said.

He urged that the village take action as soon as possible, as this new demonstrator truck might be sold soon. Board members talked about how while a public vote through a permissive referendum might be required for such a purchase, it could perhaps be acquired sooner through a resolution citing an emergency.

Village Mayor Robert Blais said such a procedure might delay or prevent bonding the vehicle. “Ideally, we’d put the truck out to bid,” he said. “We just bought two fire trucks last year.” Berry replied that a lease-purchase agreement might circumvent the need for a permissive referendum.

Endwell Fire Chief Joe Shoemaker says the old truck was just too crammed.

"We'd get a new piece of equipment and say 'well, what are we going to take off of the truck in order to put this piece of equipment onto the truck?' This allows us to carry everything we had plus our current cache of equipment, along with some room to grow in the future," he said.

Shoemaker says the new truck replaces a 1994 model.

The Heavy Duty Rescue Truck was called to its first accident Wednesday.

PLFD President Al Evangelista said, "Generally after 20 years you start to look at a replacement. We kept the truck because it was in good shape. We were able to get some more years because we have a terrific maintenance program, and we keep up with all the service on the truck. But sooner or later it gets to point where you start to replace one thing after another, and then it gets to where you are at a fire scene and sometimes you worry about breakdown in the heat of battle." The Fire Department has had the new truck for almost a month now, and it has already been out on service calls. The pumper truck it replaces has been stripped of its equipment, and is no longer in use. Fusaro said they are looking for somebody who wants to buy the old truck on the cheap. Evangelista said, "They are not worth a lot of money when they are that age, especially in this metropolitan area. Very few people buy used equipment." Including the new truck, the Fire Department currently has two pumpers, one mini pumper, one ladder truck, and one rescue truck in its fleet. The new truck mirrors the pumper it is replacing in size and function, Evangelista said. It has a 1,500 gallons-per-minute pump, a 500-gallon water tank, and a 40-gallon foam tank that is used for hazardous materials. To make the transition to the new truck seamless, all the equipment that was removed from the cabin of the old truck was placed in the same location in the new truck. "We even tried to put the same equipment in the same cabinets for ease of recognition, so when you get to a scene you kind of have an idea of what's in what cabinet on each of the different apparatuses," said Evangelista. Borough Administrator Kevin Boyle said the borough bonded about $500,000 over a two-year period to pay for the truck. The wetdown is the ceremonial christening for the new truck. Neighboring Riverdale recently had a wetdown on Aug. 27 to celebrate its new pumper rescue truck. Fusaro said a lot of the mutual aid towns will come out to participate in Pompton Lakes' wetdown. "They bring their fire trucks in, they pull up, and they basically hose the truck down," said Fusaro. There will be live music, a DJ, food, beer, soda, T-shirts, mugs, and other items for sale. The wetdown will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. at the firehouse on Passaic Avenue.