South Brunswick Orders New Fire Truck, But Delivery Delayed

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — The Monmouth Junction Volunteer Fire Department, has placed the order for a new tower ladder fire truck.

A special election was held on Dec. 16 to ask registered voters to approve the purchase of a new aerial tower ladder fire truck. Residents voted 'yes' to the purchase and now the fire department has placed the order. Read More: South Brunswick Voters To Decide On Purchase Of New Fire Truck

“It has been a long, time-consuming process to get to the point where we could place the order for the new truck,” Monmouth Junction Fire Chief Scott Smith said. “We are confident that the new truck will greatly increase our efficiency and level of service to the community for decades to come.”

But due to supply chain issues, build times for new fire trucks have increased. Construction of the new truck is currently estimated at 22-months. The delivery is expected from late 2023 to early 2024.

“Although we are disappointed that we have to wait almost two years to get the new truck, we are excited that we should have training completed and the truck in service in time to celebrate as part of our Department’s 100th anniversary in 2024,” Smith said.

The process was a long one that first began back in October 2020. A meeting was held by a committee of 6 firefighters to develop the specifications for the new truck. Over the course of the next 11 months, the committee worked on the project and recommended the purchase of a 100-foot mid-mount aerial tower ladder, custom-built by Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wisconsin.

After finalizing the specifications, the Board of Fire Commissioners held the special election in December. Although the cost of the truck was priced at approximately $1.7 million, voters were asked to authorize the purchase for an amount not exceeding $1.95 million due to a possible cost increase.

The final count was 668 'yes' votes and 76 'no' votes, according to the Middlesex County Clerk's Office. Read More: South Brunswick Voters Approve Purchase Of New Fire Truck

After securing voter approval, the Board of Fire Commissioners advertised for financing bids and sent packages to 16 different financial institutions. The bid was awarded to Municipal Leasing Consultants for a seven-year period on Feb. 2. The bid was awarded after receiving approval from the State of New Jersey’s Local Finance Board.

On March 9, the Board of Fire Commissioners and the fire district’s attorney attended the virtual meeting of the Local Finance Board, who reviewed the application packet and unanimously approved it, giving the Fire District the final approval to formally place the order for the new truck.

The truck was ordered for $1,666,334.44 under the Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC) cooperative purchasing program, and well under the $1.95 million that was approved by the voters in December.

Use of the national co-op program results in a cost savings of roughly $45,000, the fire district said.

There was no increase in the tax rate for 2022 and nor are there any increases expected in the future as a result of the purchase.

The Fire Department, which serves Monmouth Junction, Dayton, and Deans, are always looking for new members. Anyone interested in serving their community as a volunteer firefighter is encouraged to call 732-329-2001 or email volunteer@mjvfd.com for additional information.