The Alna Fire Department recently bought a 2002 Ford one-ton and a skid unit to replace its 1972 brush truck, Fire Chief Mike Trask said.
The department raised about $15,000 from donations, suppers and other non-property tax sources to purchase the equipment, Trask said.
A Canadian company is building the skid unit, which will arrive in 3-4 weeks, Trask said. The unit, which holds 200 gallons of water and also features a hose reel, a pump and a “phone system,” will be installed in the back of the new, four-wheel-drive truck.
“It’s specifically made to fight brush fires,” Trask said of the unit.
“The 1972 [brush truck] will continue to remain in service because it also carries our extrication equipment,” Trask said. The department’s next goal is to save money to replace the vehicle with “a truck that’s a little more suitable for a rescue truck.”
Trask informed the Alna Board of Selectmen of the purchases at its May 24 meeting.
In other municipal news, the selectmen voted to hire local carpenter Chris Cooper to perform minor repairs to the town office ramp.
The selectmen said they might consider a redesign and rebuild of the ramp in the future.
The selectmen also reviewed a letter the town office will mail to a number of Alna taxpayers who have property enrolled in Maine’s Tree Growth Tax Program.
The letter reminds the property owners in question of the necessity to submit a forest management and harvest plan to the town and update it every 10 years.
The plans for some properties have either expired or will soon expire.
