SOUTHWICK – Town Meeting voters approved an appropriation of $125,000 for repairs to Engine No. 2 last week.
The apparatus was purchased for the Southwick Fire Department in 1992 with the intention of getting close to 30 years of use from the engine. The repairs will help extend its life.
“We will end up getting a good 35 years from this engine,” said Fire Chief Richard Anderson. “We put a lot of thought into it when it was purchased.”
Anderson said the engine is a short-wheeled truck, which is ideal for driving around the lakes.
“But, it also has the power needed to go up the hills on the west side of town,” he added.
The engine needed repairs to the tank and frame, which had to be done by the manufacturer.
“We sent it for maintenance (to a company in East Hartford) and they noticed the piece that holds the tank on back of the truck was rusted,” said Anderson. “It was a $6,000 repair, so I scheduled that and sent it back for repair and when they took out the tank they found corrosion on the frame.”
Anderson said he discovered that is a problem typical to apparatus used in New England because of the chemicals used to quickly thaw frozen roads here. The agent would get under the engine as it drove around town in winter, then it would be parked inside the warm garage, causing the corrosion.
Because the Department of Transportation governs repairs to the frame, the engine had to be repaired by the manufacturer.
A committee researched options available to the town, including repairing Engine No. 2, purchasing a like apparatus, and purchasing a different truck.
“It would have cost about $500,000 for a new, like engine,” said Anderson.
Because most engines are used about 20 years, the committee and Board of Selectmen decided that a repair of $125,000 that would give the engine another 15 years of life was more cost effective than purchasing a new truck.
“For $125,000 we will take a truck we couldn’t use or sell and we will refurbish it and have it for years to come,” Anderson said.
The engine is currently being repaired at the manufacturer in Appleton, WI. Anderson said the new frame would include a special powder coat finish that would weather the New England winter. Engine No. 2 should be back in service by mid-June.
Anderson said the rest of the SFD fleet is in good shape. The next vehicle they need to consider replacing is an ambulance.
“That costs about $200,000, but through the Fire Chief’s Association, we can participate in a program to get a discount through bulk purchases, so I’m keeping an eye on other departments,” he said.
