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Oak Island fire chief says two ladder trucks failing; urges council to fund replacement and station renovation
Summary
Fire Chief Lee Price told the council both ladder trucks experienced failures and recommended replacing one truck immediately and financing a planned station‑one renovation; staff discussed a potential one‑cent fire tax (≈$660,000) and limited use of fund balance to meet urgent capital needs.
Fire Chief Lee Price told the council the department is operating with aging apparatus and that recent breakdowns left the town without a fully reliable ladder truck for weeks. He said one truck—built in 2009—has frame corrosion and extensive suspension and structure issues and should be written off rather than repaired.
"We've spent the past three weeks without a ladder truck," Price said. He described diagnostics that identified sheared frame bolts and cracked crossmembers, and he said a major repair would be expensive and uncertain given the vehicle’s age.
Price said…
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