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Selectmen approve acquisition of bucket truck, turn down tanker purchase

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Town Secretary Linda Grant holds a plaque that Town Manager Richard Davis, left, received from the Maine Town, City and County Management Association as Selectman Scott Landry looks on.

FARMINGTON – Selectmen decided against purchasing a used tanker truck for the fire department at the Tuesday evening meeting. They did approve the acquisition of a bucket truck through a law enforcement surplus equipment program.

Officers of Farmington Fire Rescue presented a proposal to purchase a used 2008 Kenworth/Pierce 2000-gallon tanker for $220,000 from a department in Illinois. The truck, which has seen light use, would be the first tanker in Farmington’s fleet since 2000. That was the year that the town decided to discontinue use of an in-house converted ladder truck that wasn’t working particularly well.

Since then, Fire Chief Terry Bell said, the department has carried 2,000 combined gallons of capacity in its four trucks. When off the town’s hydrant supply, Farmington relies upon mutual aid for structure fires. Most of the surrounding towns do have a tanker. Two issues, firefighters said Tuesday, was that shrinking departments makes it more difficult to guarantee that personnel will be available to deliver equipment and that new home construction materials mean that structures burn quicker and hotter than before.

Deputy Chief Tim Hardy said that while firefighters previously counted on a 15 minute window before a “flashover,” or ignition of combustible material, occurs. That window is now down to three or five minutes, a change that Hardy says requires the prompt introduction of plentiful water.

Bell proposed taking the money for the used tanker out of the reserve account, which includes some $266,000. The town adds $75,000 annually, ever since the last payment was made on the ladder truck.

Selectmen expressed concern that depleting the reserve account would make it difficult to purchase new equipment when it becomes necessary. The next big investment is the replacement of Engine 2 a 1995 E-One Pumper at a previously-estimated cost of $600,000. The department has suggested refurbishing Engine 2 rather than buying a new one to save some money, but selectmen were also looking ahead to the eventual replacement of Engine 1 in 2027 and Tower 3 in 2032.

“The real big need you’re not showing me,” Fogg said. He and other selectmen suggested the town needed to consider how much to invest in the reserve each year, given the incoming expenses. Selectmen voted against purchasing the tanker, with Selectman Stephan Bunker, a member of the department, abstaining.

The board did unanimously approve acquiring a 1997 International with 4,700 miles through the Law Enforcement Support Office 1033 program, which allows police departments to acquire equipment at no cost. The equipment can later be used by other town departments.

Farmington has a 2000 GMC with a boom. However, that boom was deemed unsafe due to a drive gear issue that was estimated to cost $17,000 to fix. Public Works uses the boom truck to trim road canopy, install flowers and wreaths in the downtown and maintain street signs. Farmington Police Department Chief Jack Peck said that his department uses the boom truck to install its solar powered speed limit sign. Another possibility would be to allow a local resident certified to replace traffic signal lights to use the boom in the downtown. Currently, the town employs a Monmouth-based company, resulting in significant expense and lag time between reports of blown traffic signals and the signals getting repaired.

The cost to the town include roughly $1,000 in various minor repairs and $7,000 to have it shipped to Maine. Those funds will come out of the Public Works budget.

Selectmen also approved having the Farmington police provide up to 320 hours of patrol services to the Farmington Fair next month, at the cost of up to $13,650 from the Franklin County Agriculture Society. The department will be continuing its regular patrols during that coverage. The board also approved the acceptance of $2,049 for targeted impaired driving patrols; those funds are on top of the roughly $4,000 the department has already received.

Selectmen also congratulated Town Manager Richard Davis on receiving the Manager of the Year award from the Maine Town, City and County Management Association. Members of the board accompanied Davis when he received the award.

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10 Comments

  1. I’m quite sure the fair pays the town of farmington for police so it’s no extra cost
    to taxpayers. For some reason that part was left out.

  2. Congratulations Mr. Davis. Well deserved recognition. We made you earn that, I’m sure.

  3. Yes, the FCAS pays. That’s where the up to $13,650 is coming from. I’ll add something to make that clearer.

  4. Bring back that leaf sucker machine. My drain is always clogged with those darn leaves. Taxes go up services go down…thanks selectmen.

  5. Where’s the boom truck coming from? Wouldn’t it be less expensive to just have someone drive it here?

  6. At $7000 shipping I assume the truck must be coming from overseas. If not we are witnessing a waste of tax dollars.

  7. They talked about having someone driving the truck up from Utah (which is where it is). In the past, that method hasn’t been less expensive and it also puts miles on the truck, according to town officials. The truck also requires the roughly $1,000 in repairs.

  8. The Agricultural Society pays for police and other emergency services provided to us as a budgeted line item. We are very fortunate to have those professional services on site during the fair.

  9. Understood I guess… yet a truck with under 5000 miles should be quite drivable…if not I would question.

  10. Holy cow!!!! Next time you guys buy a truck in another state and need it driven/delivered to Farmington,
    Give me a call. I will fly there (Utah or where ever) and drive it back (carefully) for $2500. I have great
    Insurance too (USAA). These are diesel trucks, a few thousand miles won’t hurt anything. These engines
    Can last 1 million miles if well maintained. It would be my pleasure to help out, :0).

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