LIVERMORE FALLS – The quest to acquire a ladder truck for the fire department expanded south on Monday as selectman discussed a vehicle for sale in Maryland.

Fire Chief Ken Jones had hoped to strike a deal closer to home. The town recently bid on a ladder truck being sold by Farmington. However, a fire department in Greenock, Pa., submitted the highest bid and is in line to purchase the truck. Bidding closed on Jan. 5.

“It appears that the ladder truck in Farmington is not going to meet our goal,” Jones said at the meeting.

Jones went on to describe a similar truck available from a fire department in Maryland. The truck is a 1988 or 1989, 2 feet shorter and equipped with one less cabinet than the Farmington truck. It has approximately 60,000 miles and 3,000 hours of operation.

“It is a similar type of truck” to the Farmington truck, Jones said. “It has been held for us for some time.”

He drove home the need for a reliable ladder truck in Livermore Falls regardless of the seller. He described a call his department received at 5:30 Monday morning, a chimney fire where a ladder truck was a necessity. Unfortunately, the truck the department now operates would not start.

Jones also discussed Wilton’s ladder truck not passing standard aerial testing. That leaves only Farmington and neighboring Jay with ladder trucks that could assist Livermore Falls in an emergency.

Selectmen voted unanimously, after a motion by Selectman Julie Deschesne and a second by Selectman Michael Collins, to provide Jones, along with a mechanic and other firefighters, with the means to inspect the Maryland truck in person. Deschesne also agreed to a special meeting, to be scheduled later, should the truck pass muster in order to facilitate its acquisition.

Jones and selectmen also briefly discussed the potential purchase of a pumper/tanker truck.

“It’s not fair for me to make a recommendation,” he said, citing late arrival of information from the manufacturer. All parties involved decided to continue investigating pumper/tanker options and further discuss it later.