Fire Chief Requests Emergency Funding for Replacement Pumper Truck-September 8, 1971

Citing an urgent public safety emergency following the catastrophic breakdown of a critical frontline vehicle, Fire Chief Irving J. Dobson appeared before the Board of Selectmen to formally request an immediate $26,000 appropriation to acquire a replacement fire pumper.

Equipment Failure and Lease-Purchase Options Considered

Chief Dobson informed municipal leaders that Engine 5—a 1949 vintage 300-gallon pumper truck that the department had repeatedly requested funding to replace over the previous two years—suffered a major mechanical failure during a recent fire response. The permanent loss of the apparatus leaves the town’s firefighting capabilities in “rough shape for the fall brush season,” the chief warned.

To address the shortfall, Chief Dobson urged the board to ask the Finance Commission for an emergency funding transfer of up to $26,000 to purchase a new 500-gallon pumper unit. Selectman Charles L. Rich expressed skepticism regarding the feasibility of securing a rapid transfer from the Finance Commission, noting uncertainty over when a special town meeting might be convened. In response to financial doubts, selectmen directed Chief Dobson to thoroughly investigate the alternative option of leasing a municipal pumper truck and report back with cost estimates at a subsequent meeting.

(photo credit: Bryan Hurst, firenews.org)

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger