Fire chief seeks support for new engine

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    SANGERVILLE — The Sangerville Fire Department is in drastic need of a new engine, according to Chief Charles “Chuck” Bean, since the newest one in its fleet is almost 20 years old.
    The new model would replace a 1975 Chevrolet, which Bean said he doesn’t even feel safe sending out on calls nowadays. “We don’t even trust the pump anymore,” Bean said.

    Bean and a salesman for Greenwood Emergency Vehicles, Alan Clark – who is also Corinna’s fire chief — attended the Dec. 10 meeting of the Sangerville Board of Selectmen to drum up support for a new vehicle.
    Bean said his department’s top choice is a 2014 Rosenbauer pumper at a cost of $249,619. He suggested that the townspeople authorize using $100,000 from the fire department’s $140,000 reserve fund and finance the balance through the Maine Municipal Association bond bank.
    “Rosenbauer is now the largest manufacturer of fire trucks in the world,” Clark said. “They make trucks for 11 different countries. In fact, we just got an order for 1,200 trucks for a fire district in Saudi Arabia.” But Clark added that even though the firm makes a lot of specialty equipment, “They cater to our rural departments.”
    The proposed new vehicle would have a 350-hp Cummins diesel engine and automatic transmission and would take approximately 10 months for delivery, Clark said.
    When selectmen asked Bean and Clark if the 1975 model was worth anything in trade, Clark said definitely not. “A vehicle with gas engine and hydraulic brakes at that age is probably worth scrap metal,” he said.
    Bean had a close call with the 1975 truck a few years ago when the master cylinder failed while he was trying to back it into the fire station, according to a Bangor Daily News article. The truck, loaded with 750 gallons of water, started rolling downhill and Bean had to steer it into a retaining wall to avoid hitting the building.
    Selectman Melissa Randall said she understood the need for a replacement vehicle, but preferred that the payments not exceed $15,000 per year. That’s the average amount authorized for the fire department reserve fund at the annual town meeting.
    Also, Randall suggested that a committee “with members outside of the department” be formed to discuss the proposal before it’s put on the annual town meeting warrant. “I’m not comfortable getting on board with this without getting input from other people in town as well,” said Randall. “It will be a tough sell at the town meeting if there isn’t some consensus built around it.”
    Randall suggested that a seven-person committee be formed consisting of three firefighters and four community members “and go through the whole process with them.”
    There was a brief discussion about whether the department could consider a used vehicle, but Clark advised against it. “When you’re buying used, you’re probably going to buy a truck that’s less than five years old. And somebody got rid of that truck for a reason,” Clark said. “That amount of money you’re saving could cost you more than the $15,000 a year you’re putting away (in the reserve fund).”
    Bean said that he wouldn’t mind acquiring a used rescue vehicle or tanker “but there’s no way I’d buy one as the main unit.”
    After some discussion, the board suggested a few names to serve on the committee such as Gerald “Chum” Jackson, Rick Pellerin and Rich Doherty, and asked Town Manager Dave Pearson to set up a meeting in the near future.
    The next  meeting is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 30 at 6:30 p.m.