South Brunswick Voters Approve Purchase Of New Fire Truck

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — South Brunswick Township Fire District 2 is all set to get a new fire truck. Residents recently voted ‘yes’ to the purchase in a special election.

The final count was 668 ‘yes’ votes and 76 ‘no’ votes, according to the Middlesex County Clerk’s Office.

A special election was held on Dec. 16 to ask registered voters to approve the purchase of the new fire truck. The Board of Fire Commissioners of South Brunswick Township will now continue the purchase process, officials said. The purchase amount will not exceed $1,950,000. Read More: South Brunswick Voters To Decide On Purchase Of New Fire Truck

The next step will be to advertise for bids to purchase the truck via lease-purchase financing. Once the winning bid is approved, the Commissioners will then seek approval from the New Jersey State Local Finance Board to proceed with the purchase. If the Local Finance Board approves the purchase, the Commissioners can sign an agreement to formally order the truck.

Last year, a committee made up of six firefighters from the Monmouth Junction Volunteer Fire Department worked at developing specifications for the new tower ladder fire truck. The committee has recommended the purchase of a 100’ mid-mount “Ascendant”-model aerial tower ladder, custom-built by Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wisconsin.

“There is no question the new truck will be a tremendous upgrade to our operation over our current tower ladder. The new truck will be easier to operate and maintain, greatly increasing our efficiency and saving valuable time at a fire when every second counts,” said Monmouth Junction Fire Chief Scott Smith. “We can’t thank the residents enough for approving the purchase of the new truck.”

The Board of Fire Commissioners has introduced their 2022 budget for the fire district. A public hearing on the budget will be held on Jan. 18.

There is no tax increase for residents due to the purchase, officials said. Currently, the fire district's tax rate is amongst the lowest in Middlesex County and in New Jersey, the department said.

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