Voters approve bond 66 to 6 for fire tanker

Residents ventured out to the Center Firehouse Tuesday night to approve bonding for a new fire tanker to replace a smaller tanker that was challenged to provide enough water to fight blazes in certain areas. The final tally was 66 votes in favor to 6 to deny the department bonding for the purchase

Another $400,000 will be used from the fire district’s equipment reserve fund to pay what is expected to be $815,000 to cover the purchase. The vote to bond funds automatically was paired with permission to spend money from the reserve fund.

Board of Fire Commissioners Vice Chairman and longtime department chief Anthony Reiter worked with a subcommittee to determine what the Department needed to reach a water supply to fight some Island fires.

Commissioner Reiter expressed his thanks to the community that supported the bond and said, “We’re here to proudly serve.”

He said the old truck has served the community for about three decades and will continue to serve another needy department where there are fire hydrants making water easily accessible. On Shelter Island, firefighters have had to depend on a smaller tanker and run hoses a long distance to access water, the commissioner said.

The department that gets the old 2,000 gallon tanker will make a handsome donation to Shelter Island that will help to offset the cost of equipment andsupplies for the new truck, he added.

The new Class A tanker, custom built by Pierce, will carry 3,000 gallons of water and is capable of carrying that load of water to tackle major Island fires. It will be backed up by a small tanker that holds 1,000 gallons of water. 

The Fire Commissioners have always been attentive to carefully budget to meet necessities, Commissioner Reiter said. The new tanker will also be equipped with a phone enabling easy access to reach other departments when mutual aid is necessary to fight large fires. Commissioner Reiter predicted the new tanker will serve the Town for at least 25 years.