The Leighton Township Boar
d has decided to to spend up to $310,000 on a five-year-old fire truck that was damaged in a rollover.
The rescue pumper, used by the fire department in Westfield, was purchased by the Spencer fire vehicle firm and Leighton Fire Chief Tony Banas said it cost $545,000 when purchased new. He told board members the vehicle is being repaired and refurbished. He and Supervisor Steve Deer last week got a good look at it at Spender’s location in Charlotte.
“Other than surface rust, I didn’t see any damage,” Deer said. “If there is more damage than what was obvious to us, we reserve the right to back out of the deal.”
The rescue pumper is loaded with desirable equipment, particularly a hydraulic ladder, that would have to be added at extra cost to a new vehicle at $370,000, Banas said.
The chief gave the board three options to replace the aging Engine No. 12:
• Spend $10,000 on repairing the old current vehicle to buy a yer before purchasing a new vehicle in 2016 for $425,000.
• Buy a new Pierce fire truck off the lot for $370,000.
• Buy the used truck, which has 10,000 miles on it and the ability to pump 1,000 gallons of water.
The risk is a used truck that was rolled in an accident and local officials believe Spencer would not sell a lemon and endanger its reputation among fire departments across the state.
“I do have some concerns that it (the pumper) went on its side,” Banas said, but he is confident the fire truck will be more than operational.
Treasurer Char Troost said of the rolled used vehicle, “We’ll get more of a fire truck than we were supposed to, we’ll save some money and we’ll get it sooner (than with the other two options).”
Deer said he was concerned that the salesman he and Banas talked to offered it at just under $300,000 and now it’s being peddled for $310,000.
“I think we ought to sharpen the pencil on that,” he said, urging Banas to do a little negotiating on the final price.
The board voted 4-0 to send a check for $50,000 as a refundable down payment and buy the fire truck if certain specified conditions are met.
