Hardyston volunteers to get new ladder-tower truck and ambulance

hardyston - At a recent meeting, the Hardyston Township council heard a first reading of an ordinance for an $835,00 bond that will pay for a new ladder-tower truck for the fire department and a new ambulance for the first aid squad. The bond also will cover the cost for the associated equipment for the ladder truck. Included in the 2005 budget were line items for a $7,000 down payment for the new ambulance and a $35,000 down payment for the ladder-tower truck. Township Manager Maryanne Smith said that Hardyston had received two bids for the ladder truck. "Six bidders took the package, and two bids were returned, one for $596,00, and another for $600,000. We'll be discussing the merits of each bid at the council meeting on Aug. 9. Fire Chief Bill Hickerson studied the fire department's requirements for nearly a year before presenting the council with a completed proposal for the new 75-foot ladder-tower truck. Hickerson said that a committee of line officers came up with the specifications. At an earlier council meeting, Hickerson told the council that with 37 active firefighters, the department has enough manpower to staff the new vehicle. With the number of fire alarms up by two percent over the past year, the need for the new truck is critical, he said. "We need the tall ladder to reach certain second-story windows and roofs of some of the newer houses, especially those in Crystal Springs and Ridgefield Commons," Hickerson explained. Hickerson also noted that the department needs a truck small enough to get into the lake communities especially in winter if a chimney fire occurs. "Sussex and Vernon each have 100-foot ladder trucks, if one is needed," Hickerson said.