Selectboard hears fire-chief cost estimates and agrees to keep Engine One as town property until October 2026

At the Jan. 7 Selectboard meeting, Chief Jordan provided the board with an itemized breakdown of costs for outfitting fire apparatus and said he does not support adding a fourth engine to the town fleet unless it is fully outfitted. He presented approximate equipment estimates including roughly $101,000 to outfit a fourth engine, about $122,000 for essential new packs, and about $43,000 for a new cascade system to support them. Chief Jordan also said the department plans to seek a $200,000 townspeople commitment if a grant for station upgrades is awarded.

Board members discussed alternatives for the oldest truck, Engine One. Brendan Bedell said the town could retain the truck as a contingency; he estimated about $50,000 to keep it in service for another year. The chief disagreed with that approach. Engine One is certified for pump testing through October 2026; after deliberation the board voted to retain Engine One at the Gore Road Fire Station as town property and to make it available to the Fire Department upon written request until it is made available to Richard Bean for Road Department use in October 2026 (motion made by Brendan Bedell, seconded by Anne Pastore, recorded unanimous).

The Selectboard also discussed that, historically, Otisfield has not maintained a four-engine fleet and that adding and fully supporting another piece of apparatus would affect staffing and maintenance budgets. The board recorded no additional funding commitments in these minutes beyond approval to retain the truck under the conditions described.