Fire · May 9, 2022
The Borough will put a share of its federal pandemic-relief money toward a new aerial ladder truck for the Blazing Arrow Hook and Ladder Fire Company, after Council voted at its May 9 meeting to earmark American Rescue Plan funding for the purchase. The decision lets the fire company move ahead on an apparatus whose cost has climbed sharply, while spreading the Borough’s commitment across federal payments still on the way.
Adopted unanimously
In favor: all members present — Robert Dollar, Sarah Hunter, Rob Poust, Charles Mills, David Snyder, Ken Patterson. Absent: William Wiser.
Fire apparatus is custom-built and expensive, and prices for new trucks have risen steeply in recent years. The fire company placed its order ahead of a $120,000 price increase that took effect May 1 — locking in the lower figure rather than absorbing the jump. Even with the order in, the truck will be a long time coming: delivery is not expected until January 2024, a lead time that reflects how far out manufacturers are now booking new aerial units.
The American Rescue Plan Act sent direct aid to local governments like Tyrone, paid out in two installments. The Borough is set to receive its second installment in early 2023, which is part of why the timing works: the funds arrive on a schedule that lines up with paying for a truck not due until the following year. Dedicating relief dollars to the ladder truck is an eligible use of the money and keeps a major capital purchase from falling entirely on local taxpayers.
An aerial ladder truck is among the most significant pieces of equipment a fire company operates, giving crews elevated reach for fires in taller buildings, for rescues, and for directing water from above. Replacing aging apparatus keeps that capability in service for the community the Blazing Arrow company protects. The new truck is one of the volunteer fire companies organized under Chapter 20, Fire Department of the Borough Code.
On record: the funding allocation is part of the public meeting record at the Borough Office, 1100 Logan Avenue. The Borough’s fire companies operate under Chapter 20, Fire Department of the Tyrone Borough Code, online at ecode360.com/TY1357.
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