NORTHFIELD — After months of work, City Council has finally reached a contract to buy a ladder truck for the Northfield Fire Department.
“The fire department has been working on a thorough analysis of the needs the town presents and what design would best accomplish and satisfy those needs,” Eric Shenkus said.
The city passed a resolution July 19, agreeing to buy the truck from First Choice Fire Apparatus for $1,290,656.
Members of the Northfield Fire Department approached City Council on June 15, 2021, seeking funds for a new vehicle, saying the city needed a ladder truck.
Mayor Erland Chau said each piece of equipment is designed for a specific use, noting the city has a pumper in good working order.
“This is a big investment,” Chau said at the time, noting it would have a 20- to 25-year lifespan.
Shenkus, assistance chief of the hybrid career/volunteer fire department, said the aerial section of the current ladder truck was bought in 1979 and mounted onto a newer chassis in 1999, making for a 23-year-old chassis and a 43-year-old ladder assembly.
Last year, Councilman Brian Smith had asked about the viability of purchasing a used truck. Shenkus said used vehicles are generally in the 20-year-old range and that buying one would put the department in the same position seven years down the road, when another truck would also need to be replaced.
The city budgeted $60,000 for 2022 to pay the down payment and passed a bond ordinance June 28 for $1.3 million to buy the truck.
Other planned improvements for the department this year include a roof for the entire municipal building ($225,000), entry doors for the Fire Department ($50,000), rehabilitation of its ready room ($16,500) and pagers for its personnel ($21,000).
Chau said the new truck would be far superior to the one now being used by the department.
“The new truck will meet new technology standards,” he said, calling it an overdue replacement.
Chau said having a good ladder truck is important to help firefighters reach today’s taller buildings. Buildings at the Cresson Hill housing complex, which is closing in on final completion, are three stories tall.
Shenkus said last year that many homes now have solar arrays, making it more difficult to get to the fire from above without one.
“The city is looking out for the well-being and protection necessary for our community and businesses,” Chau said.
Shenkus said the new truck would help with the growing number of multifamily housing complexes in the city, including Cresson Hill where 266 rental housing units are being built on a 22-acre site.
“The new aerial will better suit the community,” he said, noting it has a 100-foot ladder that is twice the length of the current truck’s.
Shenkus said the longer ladder would help not only with height but also with reach, making it better suited to tackle large commercial development along Tilton Road as well as the Northfield Community School and other buildings. He said it also would help when obstructions keep the truck from getting close to the building.
“There is no doubt that the 100-foot aerial will better serve the town,” he said.
In addition to the 100-foot aerial, the truck will have a 500-gallon water tank, a 2,000-gallon-per-minute pump and a crew cab that can carry six firefighters.
Shenkus said new technology improves the safety of the firefighters and public not just at the scene but on the way to and from a scene.
“We want to make sure that what we are asking firefighters to ride on to go to an emergency is the safest vehicle possible,” he said. The city can expect to see the shiny new truck in about 20 months, Shenkus said.
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff