By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Township Council has awarded a contract for the purchase of a new aerial ladder truck for East Windsor Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1.
Absolute Fire Protection Co. was awarded a contract to build the new fire truck, at a cost not to exceed $1,046,084, at Township Council’s Nov. 8 meeting. It will take about a year to build the fire truck and deliver it to the East Windsor Township volunteer fire company.
The new E-One fire truck, which is a 100-foot aerial ladder truck, will replace a 1989 LTI 100-foot ladder truck. The new fire truck has a ladder that can extend up to 100 feet in the air.
In addition to the aerial ladder, the new truck will be equipped with an assortment of ground ladders – smaller ladders that firefighters can use to lean up against a building for firefighting purposes.
East Windsor Township is using a cooperative purchasing contract between Houston-Galveston Area Council and E-One Inc. Using a cooperative purchasing contract will save money on the purchase.
Township Council is saving $38,694 by pre-paying for the fire truck in full. To ensure that the fire truck will be built in accordance with the proposal by E-One and Absolute Fire Protection Co., the township is requiring the posting of a performance bond.
Besides the ladder truck, East Windsor Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1 has five additional pieces of equipment that includes a tanker truck to provide water where fire hydrants are lacking, as well as a four-wheel-drive truck, a rescue truck with rescue tools,and a pumper truck or engine.
The volunteer fire company and its nearly 40 members – including four junior firefighters, who are under 18 years old – provide fire protection on the west side of the township from the fire company’s headquarters on One Mile Road.
