The Monterey Fire Department will purchase two used fire trucks in an effort to upgrade the fleet.
Monterey Fire Chief Kevin Peters said two of the department’s current trucks are models from the 1970s and that the new trucks will be a 30-year improvement. Peters said one of the newly purchased fire trucks is a ladder truck.
“Well, the other ones would not pass the pump test or the aerial test that they have to go through every year to get certified, and with the new businesses in Monterey and things, any three-story building we have to have a ladder truck for,” Peters said.
Peters said Monterey is financing both fire trucks, and together, they will cost the town an estimated $290,000. Peters said he is relieved to have some upgraded trucks, as the fire department had been looking to upgrade the fleet of trucks for several years.
“It helps a lot,” Peters said. “It’s just a matter of getting the personnel there now to run them, and we are having a recruitment thing right now, and we put on about five people here in the last month, so I think that’s going in a good direction, so I think the department is on the upswing and got some new equipment to go along with it.”
Peters said the fire trucks are not brand new. Peters said the town bought two used trucks as purchasing a brand new ladder truck would cost an estimated $2.2 million. Peters said the trucks are used, but they are in good condition.
“I went up and inspected it in Pennsylvania before we purchased it,” Peters said. “It’s gonna have a whole new cleaning of all the fluids, and filters, and they will do a DOT inspection on it to make sure that it passes every test that the Department of Transportation has out there before we get it.”
Peters said the ladder truck will also expand services by helping with roof rescues. Peters said having reliable fire trucks will ensure the safety of citizens and the firefighters.
