HALLOWELL — Hallowell has purchased two new emergency vehicles: a police cruiser to replace one that was damaged after a teenage driver struck it, and a fire truck that brings a more powerful engine and a nearly doubled water gallon tank to the city.
The city on March 3 received the new fire truck, a $600,000 Pierce Saber, and last week sold its old engine, a 1987 Ford/E-One, for $4,567.89.
The original invoice price was $562,543, but the city opted for a $600,000 lease-purchase agreement through Androscoggin Bank. The remaining money will be used for the hose and other equipment.
Pierce Manufacturing in January paid for three members of the Hallowell Fire Department to travel to its Bradenton, Florida, factory and look at the new truck. According to Hallowell Fire Chief James Owens, the vehicle has several advantages compared to the old one, including a 1,250-gallon water tank compared to the old truck’s 750-gallon tank. The pump can produce 1,500 gallons per minute as opposed to the old vehicle’s 1,250 gallons per minute. The new truck can seat five compared to three and features self-contained breathing air tanks built into the seats, which Owens said can save firefighters time by enabling them to get hooked up to the protective devices on their way to a scene.
The engine also is larger, and more powerful than the 1987 truck’s 250-horsepower Caterpillar engine, and is designed to operate in narrow streets and parking lots.
“There were several very minor paint issues, some lighting issues, but overall the truck was excellent,” Owens wrote in a memo about the new vehicle included in the Feb. 13 council packet. “All of the issues were corrected on the spot while we were there and were checked and approved before release.”
The old truck also had 1,673 engine hours and a total of 24,597 miles driven.
And on March 13, the council voted to sell the old truck for $4,567.89 to Asian-Auto Services in Plaistow, New Hampshire. Asian-Auto was the highest bidder, with the lowest bid coming in at $601.
The council also voted to purchase a new police vehicle for about $43,000 from Quirk Ford in Hallowell.
The purchase comes after a teenage driver crashed into and totaled one of the city’s police cruisers during inclement weather.
City Manager Gary Lamb said that equipping it with all the necessary gear will likely take a few weeks. He said the new police vehicle should be operational and on the road by the end of April.
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