| Milford on track to add fire pumper | ||||||||
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| MILFORD — Fire Chief Louis LaVecchia says the Fire Department is short one fire pumper, which is causing a hardship, but Mayor James Richetelli Jr. said he plans to address the problem soon. |
| Richetelli said Wednesday he's including approximately $350,000 in his 2002-03 capital improvement plan to purchase a new fire engine. LaVecchia said the department currently has seven pumpers, a rescue truck, and a tower and ladder truck. He said the department typically operates with eight pumpers, but two were taken out of service this year because of age and wear and tear. LaVecchia said operating with seven pumpers has caused a "hardship," but not any safety concerns. He said the department hasn't been running short of vehicles, but being down a pumper puts extra pressure on the maintenance staff to keep the other vehicles on the road. Previously the city purchased fire apparatus with surplus from the operating budget, the mayor said. However, this year there won't be a surplus, so he's proposing to fund the fire truck in the capital improvement plan. "There's no more surplus," Richetelli said. "We have to plan and budget funds over time in the capital plan." Richetelli said the city needs an ongoing plan for replacing apparatus. He said he's proposing to designate a specific dollar amount every year in the capital plan so it can replace a fire truck approximately every 2 ½ years. The Board of Aldermen would have to approve Richetelli's request in May. LaVecchia said with fire apparatus being so expensive it's imperative the city have a financial plan to replace apparatus. He said the cost of fire engines has been rising by 5 percent a year. "If you don't have a financial plan it's just too costly," LaVecchia said. LaVecchia said one option he's proposed to the mayor includes a lease-purchase of apparatus. He said that would enable the city to pay for the engine over time before taking ownership of the engine. "Public safety is the essence of local government," Aldermanic Majority Leader Jack Fowler, R-1, said. "There's no choice. When we need a fire truck we have to buy one. I can't think of any other thing that's more of a priority. There are 22,000 homes, and hundreds of businesses in the city." Richetelli said besides purchasing a fire pumper next year the city in the future will have to purchase a rescue truck for $125,000 and a tower truck for $850,000. Fire Captain Richard Mohr said a tower truck includes an elevated platform, which contains enough space for two firefighters who can be elevated up to 105 feet. Mohr said the tower truck is invaluable in saving people from burning buildings. A rescue truck is essentially a medical unit and rolls to every scene, Mohr said. LaVecchia said the tower truck needs to be replaced within three years because of wear and tear, along with the rescue truck. However, he said, after a contract is awarded for a new truck it takes one full year for the city to take delivery because it will be custom built to the department's needs. Brian McCready can be reached at bmccready@nhregister.com, or 876-6800. |
| İNew Haven Register 2002 |