By John Tredrea, Special Writer
STOCKTON — A proposed two-bay addition to the Stockton Fire Company would house a boat and trailer the company acquired this summer in one bay.
The company plans to be more involved in rescues in the Delaware River.
In the other new bay would be housed a 1948 Ward-LaFrance pumper truck taken out of service years ago that the company wants to use in parades and other special events, secretary Jim Kuhn said Sunday.
The company recently acquired the 1948 truck.
Mr. Kuhn, a member of the fire company for 40 years, is also a member of its board of trustees, which is in charge of the expansion project.
A formal application for permission to build it is expected to be on the agenda of the Stockton Planning Board next month, Mr. Kuhn said.
He said a pole barn would cost $100,000 to build.
”The fire company will take out a loan for it,” Mr. Kuhn said.
The company has lined up the firm, Kistler Buildings, of Fogelsville, Pennsylvania, to build the addition.
”What we want to do is put up a pole barn, 40 feet long by 30 feet wide, that would be attached to the engine bay of the firehouse,” Mr. Kuhn said. “There would be two bays in the pole barn, which would bring us to having five complete bays. We hope to have it up by this winter. If we get our Planning Board approval next month, we should be able to make that. It’ll take about six weeks to put the pole barn up.”
Since Stockton is so close to the Delaware River, Mr. Kuhn said, “We decided it was time for us to get involved in river rescue operations. We’ve done five or six of them so far since we acquired the boat this summer. We’ve been storing the boat and trailer outside, and that’s not a very good place for that. Having the addition would allow us to house it properly, indoors and out of the weather.”
In Mr. Kuhn’s early years on the fire company, the 1948 Ward-LaFrance pump truck was a mainstay. As the average useful life of a firetruck is about 20 years, the truck was taken out of service years ago and sold.
”That truck went through a series of private owners,” Mr. Kuhn said. “Finally, the last owner called us not long ago and said, ‘Hey, I have your firetruck!’”
The company got the truck back soon after that and plans to restore it for use in parades and other special events.
”That truck was our primary apparatus for a long time,” Mr. Kuhn said. “It has a lot of emotional pride for those of us who used it. I remember the last time I rode on it very clearly.”
The cost of restoring the Ward-LaFrance will not come out of the operating budget, Mr. Kuhn said.
”We’ll run some fundraisers for that,” he said. “The first event we have planned is a car show at the firehouse on Oct. 13.”
The firehouse is at 9 Mill St.
The all-volunteer Stockton Fire Company is 104 years old.
To find out how to enter the car show or for other information about company, call 609-397-2144.
The company also has a website, www.stocktonfireco.org.

