Township approves aerial fire truck purchase

By Kevin Elliott

The Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees on Monday, February 27 approved the purchase of a $1.7 million, 100-foot tall aerial platform truck to be added to the stable of firefighting vehicles.

Bloomfield Township Fire Chief John Leroy said the truck’s tower is 25-feet taller than any other ladder truck currently operated by the township, and includes an enclosed platform or “bucket,” rather than a traditional ladder that firefighters climb. The apparatus also utilizes an oxygen feed and thermal imaging.

“This is a state-of-the-art tower truck,” he said.

The truck will take 33-35 months to construct and deliver. Leroy said by ordering the truck prior to March 14, the township will avoid an eight-percent price increase, or roughly $142,000 in additional costs.

The board unanimously agreed to dedicate $1,783,487 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to purchase the truck. Those funds are federal relief funds intended to help offset costs from the COVID 19 pandemic incurred by local governments. The township was approved for about $3 million in ARPA funds, which must be dedicated to projects before 2025, and spent by 2026.

Bloomfield Township Supervisor Dani Walsh said none of the funds will be spent prior to receiving the truck, with the bill due at the time of delivery.

“We don’t have to put anything down right now. We just have to order it and lock in the price,” she said.