New Ladder Truck In The Works

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Created on Thursday, 14 March 2013 17:47
Written by Courtland Hanley

Ladder truckST. JOHNSBURY - The St. Johnsbury Fire Department continues to make progress towards the purchase of a new ladder truck. The current ladder truck is 37-years old, recently failed inspection, and repairs are expensive.

Selectmen recently voted to put a non-refundable $10,000 deposit on a ladder truck. Therefore no other fire department can claim the truck.

Fire Chief Troy Ruggles explains the urgency of a new truck, saying "We need to have an aerial ladder, and every day we go without one we're just taking our chances, so it's important for us to get this truck replaced as quick as possible." Had they not made the deposit, St. Johnsbury likely would have had to wait up to 10 months for a new truck to be built.

Since the failed inspection three months ago, St. Johnsbury has been depending on Lyndonville to use their ladder truck. Chief Ruggles says they've been using Lyndonville's truck frequently, but admits "they're getting sick of it," and that it was time to make a move to get a new truck of their own.

The new truck will cost just over $900,000, but Chief Ruggles says a grant that the town is working on will take care of nearly half of the cost.