New Fire Engine

On Wednesday, June 22nd, the town will decide whether or not to bond a new fire engine to replace the current piece at the Oakdale Fire Department. You may ask, "Why do we need another fire engine, there are plenty in town,",but let me explain. The current engine is 21 years old. It is starting to fail in important areas that may compromise the safety of the citizens it protects as well as the firefighters relying on this piece of equipment. Recently, the pump failed to initially engage at a fire which would be devastating to a home owner as well as the firefighters relying on it.

The Oakdale Fire Department has designed a pumper that will meet not only the needs of our citizens now, but well into the future. We have not gone out and designed a "cadillac" nor have we under designed the pumper to not meet these needs. For the most part, it is a like for like replacement. It will carry 1000 gallons of water, be able to supply 1500 gallons per minute, carry 6 firefighters, provide an emergency generator for powering lights and tools plus hold enough fire fighting and water supply hose to get the job done.  In addition, we have added what is called a Class A foam tank, that will allow firefighters to effectively fight fires with less water, which we know, is a crucial ingredient in fire suppression. Other features include compartment space and rescue tool availability so that this engine can act as two if needed.

Let us go back to "we have enough fire engines in town, why another?" Very few people know that these fire engines are factored into our local ISO (Insurance Service Organization) rating. That rating is directly related to your homeowners insurance. Presently, the Town of Montville as an ISO rating of 9/5, that is if you live where hydrants are (rt.32 corridor) you have a 5, all others are a 9. The five is good, however the 9 means you are paying a higher insurance rate. If decisions are made to continually reduce fire apparatus, this rating may lower meaning higher prices. By the way, a 10 rating is uninsurable. I am also working on to improve this rating, but that will be a future article.

Another question is, "Can we wait until next year?" You could, but next year's prices for these fire engines will increase by about $35000 dollars due to increased factory costs as well as both new emissions and NFPA standards.

Please, Help us Help You! Show your support for this purchase at the meeting. This is not a "toy" but a tool to protect life and property in our town.