CARRABASSETT VALLEY – The fire chief here will present his case for purchasing a ladder truck at an informational meeting Wednesday night.

Carrabassett Valley Fire Chief Courtney Knapp is hoping the town will purchase a German-made Metz “Quint” model aerial ladder truck, which costs $650,000.

A new truck would replace the 1983 Thibault ladder truck.

At the meeting, Knapp will speak about the condition of the Thibault truck, the needs of the department, specifics about the proposed purchase and answer questions.

A similar model to the truck Knapp wants will be parked for viewing in the afternoon at the Touring Center, where the evening meeting will take place.

Knapp, who has been chief 12 years, said anyone who thinks $650,000 sounds pricey for a ladder truck obviously hasn’t shopped around for one. On average, he said, the costs range from $600,000 to $800,000.

The Thibault truck, he explained, “Doesn’t meet the mission and is obsolete both when it comes to engineering and safety. Most people don’t drive around in 20-year-old vehicles.”

As buildings in Carrabassett Valley continue to grow up and closer together there are places the two-wheel-drive ladder truck can’t reach because most of the property in the area is built on a side slope and accessed by narrow dirt roads.

The Quint truck would be all-wheel drive.

If a Quint is purchased, Knapp is unsure what would become of the Thibeault, which with an appraised value of $35,000 could be tough to sell.

Town Manager David Cota said he is unsure if the town will opt to form a committee to look into updating fire equipment, or if an article to buy the ladder truck will appear on the warrant for the March 10 annual town meeting.

Knapp said he’s hoping for the latter and feels he has good support in the community.

According to information provided by the town, a fire department study completed in June 1996 recommends that the aerial device on the ladder truck be replaced on a 25- to 30-year schedule.

The department gets a couple of hundred calls per year and the ladder truck goes out on about 30 percent of them, Knapp said.

The Quint truck would benefit those beyond Carrabassett Valley. Nearby departments include Kingfield, which doesn’t have a ladder truck, and Eustis, which has a very old one, could see service under mutual aid agreements.

Those departments often request mutual aid from Carrabassett’s department and safe and operational ladder truck would add to that, Knapp said.

The information meeting will take place at the Touring Center at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14.

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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