The purchase of a used pumper truck for the Homewood Fire Department was approved by the village board Tuesday, June 25.
Deputy Chief Steve DeJong traveled to Manhasset, New York, last month to inspect the pumper and ensure that all proper testing and maintenance had been done.
The 2004 Pierce Dash will cost the village $141,000, plus $2,000 to ship it from New York and $2,000 for contingency. Homewood received a grant from the state for $100,000 to help pay for the truck. The Pierce Dash will be used in a secondary role.
A new Pierce Enforcer, the fire department’s primary truck, arrived in August 2018. The board made that $596,897 purchase in September 2017.
That pumper was intended to replace a 21-year-old Smeal pumper and move a 2007 Crimson Spartan into the reserve role. The department expects trucks to have 20-year replacement cycles. After that point, repairs become prohibitively expensive.
But the fire department spent over $40,000 on electrical repairs to the 2007 Crimson truck, according to village documents. It was in and out of service for 18 months and the problem was never resolved. The decision was made to dispose of the Crimson truck and keep the Smeal in reserve while searching for a replacement.
The 2004 Pierce Dash was found in April.
With the purchase of the new truck, the board approved the sale of the 1999 Smeal pumper through Brindlee Mountain Fire Apparatus, a fire truck sales and service company in Huntsville, Alabama. Brindlee Mountain will take between five and 10 percent commission for the sale, depending on the price the pumper garners.