Vanessa Paolella

Sun Journal, Lewiston, Maine

(MCT)

Aug. 18—LISBON — The Town Council is considering a proposal to purchase two new fire engines to replace three aging trucks in the Lisbon Fire Department.

On Tuesday, Fire Chief Nate LeClair asked councilors to support adding a question to the November ballot authorizing the town to spend no more than $1.7 million to finance both.

LeClair said he was bringing the request before the Town Council now because it would take two years from purchase to receive the new engines due to the lengthy manufacturing time.

One engine has problems with its computer, a hole in its water tank and other issues, according to LeClair. Due to its age, some parts can’t be replaced. Another engine is “literally dropping bolts on the ground,” and the rescue truck has rear frame issues, he added.

The three trucks he is proposing to remove from service were built in 2000, 2003 and 2004.

With prices rising, LeClair said the town can’t afford to wait to replace the trucks.

The Moxie-colored engine purchased in 2019 cost the town $650,000, LeClair said. That same engine costs $150,000 more now, a 23% increase. Prices are expected to increase another 7% at the end of October, he said.

The council agreed to discuss the proposal further and set a public hearing date at their next meeting Sept. 6.

Finance Director Kayla Tierney told councilors the Moxie Festival had a “fantastic turnout” this year after a two-year pause due to COVID-19.

Tierney said the Moxie committee budgeted $45,000 for expenses but spent $35,000. With a total revenue of $45,000 from vendors, sponsorships and souvenir sales, the town brought in a net total of about $10,000.

She said the committee exceeded its revenue projections and is in good shape to finance next year’s festival.

Assistant Town Manager Glenn Michalowski gave an update on the town’s malfunctioning electric vehicle charging station at the town parking lot off Main Street in Lisbon Falls.

The charging station, which has four plugs, stopped functioning sometime near November, he said.

“It is my understanding that there is an issue with the software and the manufacturer has not provided any information on how they plan to address the issue to date,” he wrote in an email Wednesday. “They did say this issue is affecting rural communities more than urban communities, but (provided) no indication as to why.”

The town paid $19,000 and Central Maine Power contributed $16,000 to purchase and install the station in April 2021, Michalowski said. The town gets revenue from the charging station when it is operating correctly.

Town staff are exploring options to fix the chargers and will consult legal help about their options, he added.

While the charger stopped working in November, town officials were unaware of the problem until a couple of months ago due to staff turnover in the town office, Michalowski said.

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(c)2022 the Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

Visit the Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) at www.sunjournal.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Read the features and news on fire trucks and fire equipment from the July 2022 issue of Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment magazine.

• Editor’s Opinion: Catch the Electric Wave
• Tractor-Drawn Aerials Are Used Around the Country
• Nanuet (NY) Fire Engine Company No. 1’s Rescue Pumper
• Thermal Imaging Safety Training
• Heavy Hydrant Hookups: Maximizing Hydrant Flows, Part 1
• Apparatus Showcase: July 2022

Ken de la Bastide

The Herald Bulletin, Anderson, Ind.

(MCT)

Aug. 18—ANDERSON — If funding sought for the Anderson Fire Department for 2023 is approved, almost all of its fleet will have been replaced in the last seven years.

During the council’s Wednesday budget review session, Fire Chief Dave Cravens said

the only one of its 11 trucks that would not have been replaced recently is the ladder truck.

The 2023 budget includes funding for a new truck at Station 2, a new ambulance and a new vehicle for the battalion chief.

Cravens said the department makes 22,000 runs per year, of which 13,000 are medical runs.

The department is budgeted for 110 employees. Cravens said there are currently 108 members, though three are leaving early next year.

He said the department will start the hiring process in 2023.

The department’s budget for gasoline is increasing by 91% from $110,000 to $210,000 in 2023.

Fred Reese, superintendent of the Anderson city building maintenance department, told council members a new air conditioning chiller, at an estimated cost of $150,000, will need to be purchased in 2024.

Tamie Dixon-Tatum, director of the Civil & Human Rights Department, said she would like to hire a senior investigator, junior investigator and intake specialist in the near future.

She said the current senior investigator retired this month.

Dixon-Tatum is the only person working in the office currently.

She would also like to hire a part-time public defender to assist with legal cases in the office.

Mayor Thomas Broderick Jr. said the intention is to hire a senior investigator in 2023.

Follow Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or call 765-640-4863.

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(c)2022 The Herald Bulletin (Anderson, Ind.)

Visit The Herald Bulletin (Anderson, Ind.) at www.theheraldbulletin.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Jackson (MO) Fire Rescue dedicated Engine 13, a new $550,000 engine, at a ceremony attended by about 100 people, according to a report published by The Cash-Book Journal.

According to the report, the new engine is nearly identical to Engine 12 that was put into service about five years ago and will replace Engine 11, a 1990 model that will be donated to Career & Technology Center in Cape Girardeau, so a fire-fighting course can be offered there for high school juniors and seniors.

In keeping with traditions, retiring Engine 11 was driven out of the station and used to wet down the new truck, the report said, noting that ceremony red towels were used by the public to wipe down the new Engine 13. The truck was then blessed by local clergy and pushed into the station, according to the report.