By CONNIE TABBERT
Editor
COBDEN — The Foresters Falls fire truck should be back in its own hall by the end of the week.
That’s what public works manager Bill Misener is planning. However, the fire truck cannot be used as a front-line fire truck.
This means, if there is a fire, no firefighter can use a hose from this truck to fight the interior of a building, he said.
During the public works committee meeting last night, there was discussion regarding this truck.
“We’ve been looking at this the wrong way,” Mr. Misener said.
A new truck is required for this hall, he said. He has reviewed the paperwork on this truck since it was purchased many years ago.
It’s a 1990 truck that was rebuilt in 1999 and has a pump from 1979, he said.
“A front line pumper cannot be more than 15 years old,” he said. “I have come up with a plan to get the truck back into the hall on a temporary basis.”
For years, this truck has not been up to standards, even though it has been approved each year, Mr. Misener said.
He believes a newer truck should in the Foresters Falls fire hall.
Eastway 911 said it would want to do a pump test on the truck, however, Mr. Misener said no because it has already failed twice.
Snyders Equipment Services gave an estimate of what it would cost to try and fix the truck, but it came in at $12,000.
R & M Truck and Trailer Repairs declined to not provide a quote.
Mr. Misener said he cannot allow the truck to be used as a front-line truck, but it can be put back into service while a new truck is sought for this fire hall.
Mayor Hal Johnson noted a new truck could be put into the 2016 budget.
When questioned about how much is still owing on the last fire truck purchased, which was for the Westmeath fire hall, treasurer Marsha Hawthorne said about $175,000, and the department is paying $80,000 each year to pay it off.
Mr. Misener noted a new truck would cost in the neighbourhood of $250,000 to $275,000.
Following more discussion, it was agreed that a Request for Proposal will be sent out for a new fire truck.
Mayor Johnson said he didn’t care how the truck gets into the fire hall, he just wants it there so he can sleep at night.
When advised the current Foresters Falls fire truck will not be used as a front line truck, Mayor Johnson said, “Why did we not know this before? This should have been know a long time ago. The previous council should have know about this.”
Mr. Misener said, “They did.”
Councillor Cathy Regier said up until recently, the Foresters Falls truck did past the pump test, and the Westmeath truck had to be paid off.
Chief Administrative Officer Christine FitzSimons suggested that public works staff work with the fire department to bring back a plan of approval for council at its next meeting in August or its first meeting in September.
“Turn us loose on this and we’ll get you answers,” she said.
The recommendation to council, which was also approved at council later in the evening, was the truck be put back into the hall, but will not be used for front-line service.
Following the meeting, Mr. Misener said the truck can be used to start working on the anterior of a building if it’s on fire, but no firefighter will be allowed inside unless a front-line truck, which is in all other fire halls, has arrived on scene.
