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Wilton residents approve funding for fire truck

5 mins read
Residents show up to vote at a special town meeting Tuesday evening. Those attending the meeting narrowly approved the purchase of a new fire truck.
Residents show up to vote at a special town meeting Tuesday evening. Those attending the meeting narrowly approved the purchase of a new fire truck.

WILTON – Residents narrowly approved the purchase of a fire truck at a special town meeting Tuesday evening, authorizing the Selectboard to arrange the financing of a vehicle with aerial capability.

The 32 to 27 vote was conducted by written ballot at the request of a resident and ensuing support of more than 10 percent of the 50 voters in attendance. The vote, which came at the end of roughly 30 minutes of discussion, marks the conclusion of a year and a half of research on the part of a committee of residents, town officials and fire department officers.

Selectman Tom Saviello casts a vote at Tuesday's meeting.
Selectman Tom Saviello casts a vote at Tuesday’s meeting.

Following the Aug. 2013 loss of the Wilton Fire Department’s 1973 Snorkel truck, which failed to pass inspection, failed to sell and was eventually scraped for $5,000, the committee began meeting to address the town’s need for aerial coverage. Local businesses were surveyed, with a number suggesting that future development or current operations depended upon aerial coverage.

There’s also an issue of fire insurance, which is based off a sliding scale set by the Insurance Services Office. At Tuesday’s meeting, Selectman Tom Saviello said that Wilton residences currently had ISO ratings less than or equal to 7, with 1 being the best and 10 being no coverage. A lack of local aerial coverage could slide residences to 9, Saviello said, equating to a jump from $430 to $806 in the annual cost of fire insurance on a $100,000 property.

“We’ve heard this over and over and over again,” Selectman Paul Berkey Jr. said, addressing the board’s consideration of the issue at recent meetings. “One of the things we will have to do is negotiate with Farmington and Jay if this is turned down.”

Jay and Farmington have aerial trucks. Both have provided Wilton with cost estimates to contract out their services, leading to what Selectman Tiffany Maiuri termed as “negligible” savings compared to annual payments on a bonded fire truck. The town would need to contract with both of its neighbors, due to the geographical challenges of having a Farmington or Jay unit respond to the opposite side of Wilton.

Fire Chief Sonny Dunham makes a point at the meeting.
Fire Chief Sonny Dunham makes a point at the meeting.

While some in attendance brought up mutual aid, that applies to structure fires and other significant events. The local department also needs to respond to chimney fires, smoke investigations and other incidents, Fire Chief Sonny Dunham said.

“There’s a lot of things we use aerial devices for besides rescuing people from buildings,” Dunham said. He estimated that the aerial truck would respond from 60 to 65 percent of calls.

Some residents in attendance questioned the cost. Resident Dick Hall suggested that the up to $500,000 authorized by the article was an excessive investment, given the lifespan of a used truck.

“I think that’s an awful lot,” Hall said. He went on to suggest waiting to see if ongoing meetings between local fire departments could lead to a consolidation of services.

Other residents suggested waiting until the town’s debt on the East Dixfield Fire Department truck, $22,000 annually, ending in the next fiscal year, had been paid off.

Following Tuesday’s approval, the Selectboard will need to determine the precise method of purchasing and paying for the truck. The department is leaning toward recommending some form of a quint, or quintuple combination pumper, which would include a pump, water storage tank, fire hose, aerial device, and ground ladders on a single unit. A used quint is expected to cost somewhere between $400,000 and $500,000; a new quint runs up to $1.4 million.

Possible payment options include using funds out of the Comfort Inn Tax Increment Financing District to pay off the largest part of the bond. Additionally, a quint would replace Engine 7, a 1993 Central State vehicle. Dunham estimated the resale value of that vehicle at $35,000 to $40,000. Any remainder of the bond would be covered through the annual budget process.

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14 Comments

  1. Of course they’ll use the TIF, that way all Maine taxpayers get to indirectly pay for Wilton’s new parade truck. Unlikely the new truck will have bright enough lights to see through the smoke and mirrors.

  2. I must admit that the “new math” has got to me again. If you have 32 yes vote and 27 no votes, in my day that would add up to 59 votes. 10 percent of 59 in my day would have been 5.9 and rounded off to 6 percent. I do not understand “ensuing the support of more than10 percent of the approximately 50 voters in attendance.”

  3. Charles, The 10% support was only required to conduct the vote by written ballot. The vote to allocate the funds for a new firetruck could have passed by a single vote. It was sort of misleading the way this article was written.

  4. This is good for wilton, it could save lives, or maybe your home,no one thinks what could happen,till it does,

  5. uncontrollable spending… everything seems to pass prob cause the most direct affected people r sure to be at “special meeting” to ensure a victory on spending to their cause, whilst the rest of the population a lot more than 50 are too busy with their lives to attend every “special meeting” . could we not have absentee ballots or bunch a lot of these types together or have a mandatory 20% of pop. have to be in attendance or something. Sorry but most of the things I just see more n more spending n taxes going up. didn’t we allocate more to depts. than they had even requested?

  6. special town meetings for such large expemditures are simply a way to get things passed that would not get passed at the yearly town meeting or a written ballot at election time

  7. I was just wondering how many fire fighters are even on the Wilton dept., and if they would have the man power to operate this new equipment? Just seems we are hearing a lot about a lack of fire fighters in towns across the state.
    It does no good to have new equipment and no people to operate it.

  8. now the keyboard warriors come out ,there was another way but it would have cost about 46,000.00 a year.that was contracting to both jay and farmington for coverage .i support this decision to buy a used piece of equipment that will be 4 pieces in one seeming how engine 7 has to be replaced also .engine 7 in the 90’s cost 293,000.00 dollars brand new and has lived its lifespan. out fire dept is becoming more demanding every year and we all need to support what our firefighters need to get the job done . our firefighters put their lives on the line to protect our community from fires and accidents and most of them are also hazmat certified too. so if you dont like what was voted on and passed maybe next time you all should go to the well publicized meeting and get all the answers . GREAT JOB WILTON FIRE DEPT KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK !

  9. Woodsnut – “now the keyboard warriors come out “, spoken like a true keyboard warrior!

    I just love how people criticize others commenting on subjects and then they themselves jump right in to make a comment.

    Just make your point and stop telling everyone else they shouldn’t.

  10. It’s not whether people are for or against this purchase. It’s about doing away with all of these special town meetings that are held to get something passed. We just had an election. Why couldn’t this have been on the ballot and let the people decide. Why couldn’t this have been decided at the annual town meeting earlier this year or the one coming up in a few months. Who knows how the majority of wilton residents would have voted. Unless it is an absolute emergency and cannot wait a few months until the annual town meeting or general election in November, do away with these “special” town meetings.

  11. I am grateful for our town having our own fire dept. and police dept. some our size don’t have coverage. However do we really need top of the line equipment or brand new cruisers. anyways spending such a large amount should be mandated for better voter turnout

  12. i myself would like to say thank you to the towns people for this vote on the ladder truck . this truck will make are jobs easyer and safer . thank you

  13. Charles, Old Boy…….you are never touchin’ MY ckbook!! My A.D. Ingalls School math tells me that with 59 votes cast—–32 yes and 27 no, the percentage shakes out as 45.8% voting no and 54.2% voting in favor of the new/used firetruck. Those numbers win in most elections! I claim to be no expert on math, but I surely have a long history of being supportive of providing the best equipment possible to the VOLUNTEERS in our Franklin Country towns who willingly brave heat, cold, and all manner of danger to life/limb to keep us safe, Never mind the insurance benefits from enhanced local fire-fighting coverage…….that is simply a bonus.

    My main concern is the faces we see under the visor of those helmets when they’re smoke-smudged, red with heat stroke, or have iced eyebrows, noses, beards, etc. They are our beloved husbands, children, dads, brothers, cousins, lovers, neighbors, dear friends, and co-workers. That these volunteers in Wilton are eager and able to add an used truck that updatestheir arsenal to protect YOU (as well as the people who came to vote NO!) should be welcomed rather than mocked.

    I admit my prejudice! And I admit that I don’t “get it” when people get all fluffed-up and angry at their local fired departmanets for pushing, nudging, shoving, and working to get the best equipment available to save your life AND theirs………..

    You and I have NO real beef, Charles. We simply see things through different prisms….. I pray you never have a life-threatening fire because MY brother will probably be one of those people trying to save you! Forgive me if I want him to have ALL the best stuff available to help you both survive!

  14. A HUGE THANK YOU!!!!!! to the folks who voted YES. We do the best we can with what we have for equipment to save YOUR lives and to protect ours while doing so….
    THANK YOU again…
    WFD629

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