Eatontown Will Buy New $850,000 Truck For Fire Department

The Eatontown Fire Department appears to finally be getting what it has been asking for in the form of a new fire truck that will replace two older apparatuses.

The Eatontown Council gave the fire department its support during last night's council meeting and said it would draft a bond ordinance to purchase an $850,000 fire truck.

"The decision has to be about the safety of our firefighters and residents," Mayor Gerald Tarantolo said. "If that is starting to be impacted, then we have to make the right moves."

Eatontown Fire Department Second Assistant Chief William Mego said two of the department's three fire engines are 23 and 27-years-old and need to be replaced. He said the suggested shelf life of a fire engine is 20 years before it should be replaced.

"They're becoming a safety factor," Mego said "The 23-year-old truck just barely passed its pump test and it has other problems."

Mego said the older truck also has an open cab so the driver is not protected from hazardous weather.

He said both trucks have been repaired multiple times over the years, but that the repairs are becoming more expensive.

The fire department's fleet of trucks currently consists of three fire engines, with the third purchased in 1996 and a ladder truck purchased in 2006.

Mego said by trading in the 23 and 27-year-old trucks and using the money to help purchase a new truck, the fire department will be in good hands. Mego is the head of a fire department committee charged with finding a new truck.

"The majority of the fire department went along with our decision," Mego said. "By us reducing our fleet, it will not impact the service we provide for the town."

"We are all taxpayers and we know what it's going to cost, and this is the most efficient and cost-effective way," Mego continued.

The truck would be a quintuple combination pumper or quint-style apparatus that doubles as an engine and ladder truck. Mego said the department would not need to purchase new equipment for the truck and would use existing tools from the older engine trucks that are in good working order. 

Mego said the department has a class 4 rating from the International Standards Organization (ISO) and that it is the highest possible rating for a volunteer fire department. He said that would help the department get a good insurance rate on the new truck and that the rating would not be impacted by reducing the fleet.

Councilman Meir Araman supported the fire department's request and thanked them for maintaining the older trucks for as long as they have.

"They have been maintained so well, they look like they just came out of the showroom," Councilman Araman said. "However, our obligation is to maintain standards. It's like health insurance, you never know when you are going to need it."

Councilman Anthony Talerico also said he supported the purchase of the new truck.

"Nobody wants to buy a new truck, but this is a request that is two years old and there is a need for a new fire truck, so I support this purchase," Councilman Talerico said.

Councilman Dennis Connelly said he did support the purchase because he said did not like the idea of getting rid of two trucks and replacing them with one.

"I have a big problem with having less equipment because we know accidents and failures can happen," Councilman Connelly said. "I think it's a gamble to go with one."

Mayor Tarantolo said he supported the purchase of the truck but that he hopes the fire department will try to work with other local companies when looking to buy a new truck so that they could possibly share one truck.

"We've got to start looking at how we will operate in the future," Mayor Tarantolo said. "So let's start to create a dialogue."

The Eatontown Council should be introducing a bond ordinance to purchase the truck at a future meeting and will draft a resolution to go out to bid for the truck.