On Easter Sunday in 2010, the gas tank on our family’s SUV sprung a leak. The Texan was driving, and he was less than a mile from our home when the vehicle stopped. Thankfully he wasn’t injured. The fire department was dispatched and a fire truck came to his aid. I recently read an article about another nearby community having to return their fire truck to the manufacturer because of rust issues and wondered if my community purchased used fire trucks or new vehicles.
A fire truck is a huge apparatus and a hefty investment for a small community to make. Living in New England, we have harsh winters and the equipment takes a beating. Add to that the salt that is always in our Cape Cod breezes and you have a recipe for disaster when it comes to the metal on vehicles.
If a fire truck is treated properly, and the staff responsible for maintenance is doing their job, purchasing a used truck makes sense for our community. We could save a significant amount of money that could go towards the purchase of additional supplies the department may need, or the funds could be placed in a “rainy day” fund for use at a later date.
Does your community purchase new apparatus or used? Is it important to you how much money is spent?
Disclosure: This sponsored post is brought to you by Osco Tank and Truck Sales. All thoughts and opinions are my own and have not been influenced by the sponsor. Your opinion and experience may vary.
We tend to think that used fire trucks are a great asset to any community. They have proven their worth in the line of battle time and time again, and keep on kicking! As long as they function without constant expensive repairs, why would you NOT buy a used fire truck?