JACKSON – Thirteen votes was all it took for Fire District No. 1, which is served by the Whitesville Volunteer Fire Company, South Hope Chapel Road, to win approval for a new fire truck.
In the Sept. 5 election, a vote of 13 to 2 approved the purchase of a custom extended medium four-door chassis 1,500 GPM (gallons per minute) rear pump rescue pump truck at a cost of $525,000.
The new truck, when it arrives, will replace two older vehicles.
Fire Commissioner Martin Flemming said, “We appreciate the public backing our request for a new truck, which replaces two 1978 vehicles that were outdated and past their prime. The new one will do the work of both.”
There will also be new equipment which will handle some of the new standards determined by the fire company, since the fire company now has to deal with more motor vehicle accidents.
According to Flemming, it was becoming increasingly difficult to obtain replacement parts for the older vehicles. Given that reality, the fire commissioners made the decision to seek approval for the new truck.
The voters were asked to bond and/or lease-purchase the new vehicle. About half the cost of the new truck will be put on a bond.
Fire District No. 1 is bounded by Cooks Bridge Road, to the Lakewood border, to the Toms River border and almost out to Route 571 and Bowman Road.
There are about 25 members in Fire District No. 1.
– Dave Benjamin