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Select Board to review $50,000 four‑wheel‑drive add‑on for new fire truck
Summary
Town fire leaders told the Select Board a four‑wheel‑drive EZ Trac system could add roughly $50,000 to a new truck but argued it improves access on unpaved and steep roads; board members asked for a workshop and itemized pricing before deciding.
Department head Steve (Speaker 4) told the board the EZ Trac four‑wheel‑drive system under consideration for a new fire truck would cost about $50,000 and could be deducted from the truck price if agreed with the manufacturer: “It's a $50,000, cost for that system,” he said.
Board members and other officials discussed the trade‑offs. One board member noted that only about 25% of comparable trucks in other services have four‑wheel drive and questioned whether the higher purchase and maintenance cost was justified for Shapleigh. Advocates said local dirt roads and steep grades make a wheeled‑drive truck more practical for response. The board agreed to request an itemized parts/pricing list and schedule a workshop to examine lifecycle costs before approving the final truck purchase.
