POLAND – Selectmen decided this week to include an article in the annual meeting warrant to purchase a new rescue vehicle.
At its meeting Tuesday night, the board weighed the need for a rescue vehicle over a ladder truck for the Fire Department. Town Manager Richard Chick described a “heavy rescue vehicle” that would cost $380,000. Voter approval is required.
The cost of a ladder truck is more than double the price of a rescue vehicle. Chick explained that the Fire Department recently decommissioned an aging ladder truck, and no plan is in place to replace it because of Poland’s participation in mutual aid for fire and rescue services with Mechanic Falls, Minot, Casco, Raymond, Oxford, New Gloucester and other towns.
“Not every town needs an $800,000 ladder truck,” Chick said, explaining that because of mutual aid, ladder trucks from other towns are available to Poland. “There’s a free flow of manpower as needed.”
Calls for structure fires automatically get responses from all surrounding towns’ fire departments, which at times prevents low turnouts from some volunteer departments while most members are at work. “It’s a given fact that manpower during the day is pretty thin,” Chick said.
A public hearing on a warrant article for the town meeting that proposes to prohibit more than one member of the same family from holding elective office drew few comments. School Committee member Ira “Ike” Levine spoke against the article, as he did during a selectmen’s meeting April 5. Levine and his wife both serve on the committee. On April 5, Ira Levine called the proposal a personal attack and accused the selectmen of targeting him.
The article will appear on the town meeting warrant, Chick said.
The annual town meeting will begin at 9 a.m. April 30 in the auditorium at Poland Regional High School.
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