Selectmen Receive Update on Options For Replacing Two Fire Engines

At a brief meeting on Tuesday at the Pike House, Tewksbury Board of Selectmen got an update from Town Manager Richard Montuori on two fire engines that were taken off the road after failing to pass inspection. 

Montuori said the most cost effective option for replacing the two engines is the purchase of two trucks previously leased by other communities, one a 2008 model and the other a 2009 model, each costing $330,000. 

At a December meeting, Montuori informed the board of other options including the purchase two new engines or paying for repairs to the two trucks that had failed inspection.

It would cost the town $189,000 to refurbish the first engine, a 1999 model, and $240,000 to refurbish the second engine, a 2002 model - a new truck can cost more than $500,000, according to Montuori. 

"Add up all the costs on the used trucks, transportation and retrofitment for being housed in our stations, and it's still much cheaper than the alternative," Montuori said.

A $20,000 nonrefundable deposit would be required to complete the purchase, and it would cost $10,000 to transport each truck from their current location, near Houston, to Tewksbury on a flatbed truck.

Montuori said he plans to ask the Finance Committee to transfer the sum for the non-refundable deposit from the reserve fund. 

Town Meeting approval is required to appropriate the funds for the purchase of the two engines, which would be ready to be transported to Tewksbury in June. 

The money to purchase the two previously leased trucks would come from the stabilization fund, according to Montuori.  

While Tewksbury has been without two engines, Wilmington has stepped in and provided the town with a loaned engine. 

Montuori said Tewksbury is planning to purchase the loaner truck from Wilmington for $12,000.

Once the two leased trucks are delivered in June, the town will look to sell the Wilmington loaner engine as well as the two engines that failed inspection, according to Montuori.