(Lamoine) — One fire department member, jokingly, said “OK, do we buy two fire trucks?” Voters overwhelmingly approved funding to purchase a $200,000 rescue/pumper truck on June 8th. The final tally was 259 in favor to 140 opposed. It was the 2nd town meeting vote on the fire truck issue, the first passing at open town meeting in March. Fewer voters attended the open town meeting, and the ratio of support at the open town meeting was much larger, but the vote difference was essentially the same for both meetings.
During the public hearings there was very little testimony against purchasing the new fire truck which will replace a 1975 American LaFrance pumper truck that was added to the fleet in 1999. The truck will be 30-years old when it’s replaced by the new vehicle.

Fire Chief George “Skip” Smith said the new pumper/rescue truck will be designed to carry all sorts of rescue equipment on one vehicle, instead of the many vehicles that currently house items such as a hydraulic rescue jaws, thermal imaging camera, lights, traffic control, medical equipment road barriers and the like.
The town has put the chassis for the new truck out to bid, with those bids due July 1st. Once the chassis is ordered, a body design will be sought. The town will borrow $125,000, the fire department corporation will donate $50,000, and the town’s fire truck reserve fund will add another $25,000 to fund the project. The new truck should be ready for delivery in 2005.