Seaside Park officials have signaled their intent to move forward with buying a new fire truck, set to replace a pumper that is nearly 30 years old, Lavallette-Seaside.Shorebeat.com reported.
A fire official told the borough’s mayor and council during a work session meeting Thursday night that fire truck manufacturers are, in some cases, backlogged for years on orders, with prices on a continual rise, the report said.
The all-volunteer department has recently been dealing with a Michigan-based company that splits its business between custom-built fire trucks and trucks with standard layouts that are sold after they come off the assembly line. Seaside Park, he said, generally does not require many custom amenities or advanced systems, making the vendor, HME Ahrens-Fox, a viable choice. The company, however, requires a letter of interest from the municipal government before negotiations on price can begin, given the demand, the report said.
When the borough began discussing the need for a new fire truck in the pre-pandemic period, the price was estimated to be about $500,000. That has risen to an estimated $625,000, and continues to move upward. Once final pricing is determined, the borough will consider whether it is advantageous to enter into a lease-purchase agreement or buy the truck outright and finance it over the long term with a bonding measure, according to the report.
Seaside Park operates two pumper trucks and one ladder truck.
