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LAWRENCE: Chiefs: Replace Snorkle 21

First step in apparatus replacement plan

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
   For 23 years, Snorkel 21 has been one of the key fire trucks in the Slackwood Fire Co.’s fleet. But road salt and years of service have taken their toll on the fire truck.
   That’s why Fire Chief Michael Oakley, accompanied by the fire chiefs of the Lawrence Road and Lawrenceville fire companies, approached Township Council at its Dec. 18 meeting to make the case for replacing the aging fire truck with a new one.
   The three fire chiefs — Chief Oakley, Fire Chief Shaun Dlabik of the Lawrence Road Fire Co. and Fire Chief Gary Wasko of the Lawrenceville Fire Co. — walked Township Council through the types of fire trucks in their respective fleets and explained the 10-year fire apparatus replacement plan.
   The plan was developed last year by the fire chiefs and Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun, Chief Dlabik said. It would stagger the replacement of the fire trucks in the three volunteer fire companies for financial reasons, he said. Lawrence Township purchases the fire trucks for the volunteer fire companies.
   The plan called for replacing Snorkel 21 in 2011, but it was delayed, Chief Wasko said. But at some point, Snorkel 21 may have to be taken out of service for safety reasons. Delaying the purchase of a new fire truck also means that when it is replaced, that truck will be even more expensive, he said.
   ”Every year, (the cost of) everything goes up — whether it is groceries or a car. We want to keep our fleet A-1, so the community can be assured that we will be there with the proper equipment,” Chief Wasko said.
   And that’s the reason that Snorkel 21 needs to be replaced now, Chief Oakley said. An independent study was conducted to assess the condition of Snorkel 21 earlier this year, and the cost to refurbish the truck would be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, he said. A new ladder truck would cost $1 million to $1.8 million.
   In 2010, Snorkel 21 was out of service for repairs 10 times, for a total of 26 days. It was taken out of service 16 times in 2011 for a total of 137 days. The Slackwood Fire Co. borrowed fire trucks from Ewing and Hopewell fire companies because it was out of service for such a lengthy period, Chief Oakely said. This year, Snorkel 21 has been out of service 6 times, for a total of 10 days.
   Snorkel 21 also is the second busiest ladder truck in Mercer County, the fire chief said. In 2010, it was sent out to respond to 249 calls, and in 2011 it was sent on 258 calls. So far this year, it has responded to nearly 280 calls, he said.
   Chief Oakley pointed out that the Slackwood Fire Co., which has two more fire trucks in addition to the snorkel, answers about 600 to 700 calls per year. The Lawrence Road Fire Co. answers about 600 calls per year, and the Lawrenceville Fire Co. goes out on about 900 to 1,000 calls every year.
   ”Those are not emergency medical service calls. They are fire calls,” he said. The fire companies respond to fires, but they are also sent out to check on residential smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, plus commercial fire alarms. They also investigate when someone reports an odor of smoke and to help rescue motor vehicle accident victims.
   Chief Oakley said Snorkel 21 has outlived its usefulness. The buildings that have been constructed since the fire truck went into service are larger. Snorkel 21 has an articulating boom, which has a large nozzle on the end to spray water on the fire. The boom extends 85 feet in the air, but extends 42 feet horizontally — which is not long enough to reach the windows on the upper story of the taller buildings.
   Snorkel 21 only has a 200-gallon water tank on board, Chief Oakley said. This means firefighters would run out of water quickly before additional hoses could be attached to a fire hydrant. New fire trucks have 500-gallon water tanks, which are used for an immediate attack on a fire while waiting for hoses to be hooked up to the fire hydrant.
   When Councilwoman Cathleen Lewis asked about the cost of a new fire truck, Chief Oakley said it would go out to bid. But those bids could come back in the $1 million to $1.8 million range, he said.
   ”I wish it was as easy as buying a car, but it is not. (A fire truck) has a 20-year life span. Each manufacturer has a different warranty,” Chief Oakley said.
   Councilmen Michael Powers and Greg Puliti thanked the three fire chiefs for explaining the fire truck equipment replacement plan to Township Council. When Mr. Powers asked if the plan could be pushed out a little longer for budgetary reasons, Chief Oakley replied that the fire trucks are aging and that they break down.
   Chief Oakley said some of the manufacturers are no longer in business, and to repair a fire truck sometimes means custom fabricating the broken piece. The equipment cost goes up and “that’s what we want to get away from,” he said. Snorkel 21 has serious rust problems, he added.
   ”I think we should give very serious consideration (to the request),” said Mr. Puliti, who is a member of the Slackwood Fire Co.
   Mayor Jim Kownacki also thanked the fire chiefs, and added that he saw Snorkel 21 and the repairs that the volunteers have made to save money for the township. He said he would work with Township Council and Mr. Krawczun “to see what we can come up with.”