The Pleasant Township Board of Trustees announced plans to quickly purchase a new fire tanker before the end of the year. After Dec. 31, the price of all fire tankers will increase by at least $7,000.
The matter was discussed at the Dec. 9 township meeting.
The need for a new one was realized when the Pleasant Township Fire Department’s 30-year-old fire tanker died early November after making an emergency run for a field fire. Tankers are critical during runs as they can hold thousands of gallons of water.
The trustees approved their request to seek bids for a new tanker, and they are currently in the process of deciding between three companies: Kovatch Mobile Equipment (KME), Pierce and Sutphen.
Chairman Keith Goldhardt said that the township had set a budget of $250,000 for the new tanker but so far, the cheapest bid has been $266,000.
"We have a few specs (specifications) that we want, which is driving up the price a bit," said Fire Chief Jay Noojin.
Noojin said they are looking at different types of tankers (dry side, elliptical, and wet side) and want one that can hold 3,000 gallons of water with a 1,000 gallons per minute pump.
He added they are favoring the elliptical style, which he said looks like an old milk truck, but will still check out the other types from area fire departments.
"We need to find one that will meet our needs for the next 20 years," Noojin said.
It would take up to 10 months for the new fire tanker to arrive but in the meantime, the fire department has been running two engines during emergency runs and has mutual aid from Prairie Township, the Tri-County and West Jefferson.
Goldhardt mentioned there would be a special meeting if they are able to reach an agreement with either of the companies before the end of the month.
Comprehensive plan
After numerous delays and months of miscommunication between the township and the Franklin County Economic Development and Planning Department, the township’s comprehensive plan is finally in the hands of the trustees and the land use review committee.
Due to the upcoming holidays, the review committee did not schedule a meeting for the month of December, but intend to reconvene on Jan. 12 after they have all had time to look over the draft.
"It’s a huge document, so there is a lot to digest," said the land use review committee chairman Tom Fancher.
Fancher said the monthly meeting delay is opportune so the committee can research the new text of the plan with old comprehensive plan drafts and make sure there have been no major changes without their approval.
A public meeting date for the comprehensive plan has yet to be scheduled.
CERT
The township has been discussing implementing a Community Emergency Response Team for the area, and those interested are encouraged to come to the fire department and check out the official manuals.
According to Citizencorp, the purpose of the CERT program is to educate people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may affect their area. CERT trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as disaster medical operations, fire safety, light search and rescue, and team organization.
Interested parties must take CERT training from a sponsoring agency, such as the local fire department or an emergency management agency.
