Woods Road firehouse prepares for July
By Kelly Velocci, Packet Media Group
Hillsborough Volunteer Fire Company No. 3 soon will take delivery of a new piece of shiny red 3,000-gallon tanker truck.
Such an occasion is rare, happening perhaps once in 25 years.
To celebrate, the fire company is hosting a “wetdown” from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, July 13, at the firehouse at 324 Woods Road.
The wetdown will feature free food for the public, live entertainment by the local band, Amethyst, an ice cream truck and clown for children and a parade of the fire trucks in front of the firehouse. Lauren Bonnell will sing the national anthem.
The tanker will be initiated with a ceremonial “wetdown,” typically followed by a water fight breaking out, Chief Christian Fulmino said.
There also will be a competition for all attending fire companies. The Somerset County Chiefs Association will be judging companies’ apparatus in 10 categories, including best appearing engine, best appearing tanker and best appearing chief’s vehicle.
Mugs and T-shirts commemorating the wetdown will be sold at the event.
The tanker will replace a 3,500-gallon tanker from 1989. Chief Fulmino said tankers are used as a mobile water source where fire hydrants are not readily available. The firetrucks attach to the tanker and use it as a water supply.
The tanker is being funded by the township’s fire tax approved by voters. The tanker will cost about $361,259, the chief said.
The company’s 1989 tanker will remain in use at the firehouse until the company is trained in how to operate the new equipment. Then, the retiring tanker will find its new home at the township Department of Public Works. Chief Fulmino said the DPW will use it to spread an anti-icing salt-and-water mixture on roads during inclement weather. The DPW will replace its older and smaller vehicle.
The new tanker is estimated to arrive at the firehouse Saturday, June 22. It was constructed by KME Kovatch and took three to four months to build.
The Planning Board approved an expansion of the firehouse in May. Chief Fulmino said the company plans a 1,235-square-foot addition to the engine room.
The company is negotiating a contract and is awaiting building permits from the township. Construction is expected to begin in July. The expansion is projected to be complete in three to four months.