Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fire Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Orford fire chief requests $237,000 rescue truck; trailer funding in question
Summary
Fire Chief Stephen Sanborn requested a warrant article to buy a $237,000 rescue truck (and a $30,000 utility trailer). The truck would replace two aging vehicles and take 2–3 years to build; town staff said the trailer may not qualify for the Fire Truck Capital Reserve Fund and will ask the Trustees of the Trust Funds for guidance.
Fire Chief Stephen Sanborn asked the Orford Selectboard on Oct. 16 to place a warrant article for a new rescue truck that would replace a 1991 forestry truck and a 1999 rescue truck.
Sanborn told the board the new rescue truck would cost $237,000 and the department also plans to buy a $30,000 utility trailer to carry forestry and rescue equipment. The truck would be ordered now and is expected to take two to three years to construct. Chief Sanborn said the department planned to draw the truck funds from the Fire Truck Capital Reserve Fund.
Town staff flagged a funding question. Esther Dobbins-Marsh said the Fire Truck CRF typically covers fire-truck purchases and that the trailer might not qualify for that fund; she said she will ask the Trustees of the Trust Funds whether the Fire Equipment CRF or another account could pay for the trailer. If no existing CRF applies, the department would need a separate warrant article to buy the trailer in a future year.
The budget presentation also included multiple line-item changes: stipend payments were reduced to $22,000, medical supplies to $1,000, hose & ladder testing increased to $4,500, utilities decreased to $8,000, supplemental insurance was estimated at $6,500 for a three-year policy (renewal rate not yet received), dues & subscriptions rose from $100 to $2,100 to cover an intended Mid-west Hazmat team membership, and training and education was reduced to $3,000.
