Like cities and towns all over, the Borough of Kittanning in Pennsylvania is struggling to pay its bills. Many places have looked to the fire department as a quick way to cut expenses. Most have done so by addressing the cost of staffing in various ways. In Kittanning the plan is to cut front line fire apparatus. The town feels it can no longer make the payments on two loans used to finance Hose Co. No. 1's four-year-old 105-foot Smeal ladder truck.
The fire company has been trying to come up with a plan to stop the sale and its recent offer to take over the smaller of the two loans early next year was rejected at a council meeting a week ago. The plan, presented by a council member, would have Kittanning use $30,000 of the $42,000 in the borough's apparatus fund in the meantime and called for a tax increase to replenish that fund. The fund is for all of the borough's fire companies.
From an article by Renatta Signorini at the Pittsburgh Tribune Review:
The truck was purchased using three methods — $92,000 from the borough's fire apparatus fund, a state loan for $150,000 and a Farmers Bank loan for $404,000. Hose Co. 1 indicated last week that it wished to take over the state loan's monthly payments of $965 after eight to 10 months to accumulate the funds.
The borough's loan payments for the truck total about $4,000 monthly. As of the end of June, the remaining balance on the loans was about $454,000.
From an article by David Croyle at The KIttanning Paper:
While Council voted to proceed with the sale of the fire truck, no one is sure exactly how to proceed. Council President Schiano offered a suggestion, but there was no action.
“Two months ago, we voted investigated it to be put out for bid. How do you sell a fire truck? I guess it will go to a broker,” Schiano said.
Are there not enough Ladders in the area?
Sounds like someone should have done their homework long before it came to this.
There has to be a way to resolve this situation while providing the same level of protection to the citizens covered by this fire company. There must have been a need for this ladder truck, and that need is why it was purchased. Getting rid of the vehicle would endanger local citizens, even if the increased level of danger is minimal, any increase is unacceptable.
Why don't the town ship officials take a pay cut instead of cutting essential services…damn politicians….!!
i don't see why the commitee that rejected the offer, rejected it at all! Do they not want to keep a good truck like that? And jmgeis0184, i like your idea, but they're probly like the twp officials for my township, greedy, lazy, and a pain in the ass!
its bullshit that my cuz's department from the story i got that there was some messed up paper work on the the official side of things that truck is used alot in the town an the other areas of the county i mean look them up on line sunday it was put to good uses!!!!