Saugerties Village Trustee Brian Martin said the Village’s new ladder truck could enter service by the end of the year, bringing to close a two-year effort to replace the current 28-year-old ladder truck.
The truck could arrive in the area as soon as a couple of weeks, and it will go to fire equipment dealer Garrison before it’s turned over to the Village. “Garrison will go over the truck and get it lettered,” Martin said. An appraiser will also have to appraise the truck before it goes into service.
Saugerties Fire Department officials recently traveled to South Dakota to inspect the truck and spent a pair of six-hour days and a nine-hour day inspecting the truck and its parts, including the ladder itself and the water pumps.
Martin said the truck was nearly done except for a few adjustments the department needed to have done in order for the truck to meet department specs. He added that he new truck has a number of improvements over the old one, including a computer-based pump panel.
The current truck was taken out of service recently when a part failed on the ladder system on the driver’s side. A repair was made and the truck is back in service, he said.
“It’s been a long two years to get here,” Village Mayor Bill Murphy said.