The Port Huron Township Fire Department has paid for a new fire truck out of the township’s general fund, at a cost $296,500. The fire department will have 10 years to pay back the township starting at the end of the year.
The purchase, which was approved by the township board in December, is replacing a 1983 fire engine. The township saved about $83,500 by purchasing a demo truck instead of a new truck that was built from the ground up.
“The old truck had reached the point where we could no longer maintain it,” said Craig Miller, Port Huron Township fire chief. “It cost more to maintain it than what it was worth.”
The new truck will be the first engine out in emergencies. The current first engine is 10 years old and will be moved to the back of the line, Bob Lewandowski, Port Huron Township supervisor, said.
The new truck is a multipurpose rescue pumper that carries medical supplies and a hydraulic extrication tool. It is able to pump and carry more water than the previous engine.
Miller said updating the department’s rescue pumper will maintain the insurance rating in the township.
“If we do not maintain our fleet, that is cause for a fire hazard according to the Insurance Service Office,” Miller said. “Maintaining the reliability of our fleet is good government management.”
“A demo truck just means that the dealer used that truck to pitch sales to other fire departments,” Miller said. “It is still state-of-the-art and brand new, it just has a few miles on it.”
The old truck will be sold.
“The old truck is only worth $3,000 to $4,000,” Miller said. “If we can’t sell the truck, it might just end up going for scrap.”
The fire separtment’s 5-year plan includes updating radio communication equipment, training two fire inspectors, routine maintenance, increased training for paid on-call firefighters, and building an air support trailer.
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