Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Orange approves financing support for $2.09 million aerial fire truck
Summary
The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved support for the Orange Volunteer Fire Association to finance a 100‑ft aerial platform truck, endorsing a lease through Community Leasing Partners that covers part of the purchase and defers the remainder until delivery in 2027.
The Orange Board of Selectmen on March 2026 unanimously approved a financing plan to help the Orange Volunteer Fire Association acquire a 100‑foot Smeal mid‑mount aerial platform truck, a piece of apparatus the chief described as critical to mutual‑aid responses and rooftop rescues.
At a public hearing the department representative said the appliance contract with New England Fire Apparatus carries a gross price of $2,089,518 and a planned delivery in spring 2027. He told the board the town would use Community Leasing Partners to finance $992,430 of the purchase and that the loan carries a 5.58% interest rate. The proposed repayment schedule is 20 biannual payments of $63,586.84, the presenter said, and there are no prepayment penalties. He also reported a $75,000 trade‑in allowance on the department’s aging aerial and a $733,000 chassis prepayment that yielded a $14,330 credit against the overall cost.
“We signed the contract with New England Fire Apparatus in North Haven, Connecticut,” the chief said while explaining delivery timing and the financing arrangement. He told the board that fundraising proceeds by the volunteer association will be used to make the payments.
Selectmen asked for clarification about the accounting and timing; the chief said the town typically prepays the chassis to save tax costs while the vehicle is being built. After public comment and brief questions from the board, members voted to close the hearing and to support the Orange Volunteer Fire Association’s financing request. The motions passed unanimously.
Nut graf: The purchase will add a 100‑foot aerial capability to the volunteer department’s fleet at an estimated gross project cost of about $2.09 million, with the town supporting a finance lease that covers a portion of that sum; officials said the truck will also serve neighboring communities through mutual aid.
The board took no additional spending vote beyond supporting the financing arrangement at the hearing; the fire chief said final payment triggers will occur on delivery. The town’s use of a vendor‑financing partner—Community Leasing Partners—was described as standard practice for recent apparatus buys. The board did not discuss placing any conditions on fundraising or the timing of future capital appropriations.
The town will receive the new aerial in 2027, and selectmen said they expect further implementation details as delivery approaches.
