PARIS — Selectmen unanimously voted to have the Fire Department retrofit a poly tank onto the chassis of a tanker truck after the former tank developed a leak.

Chief Brad Frost of the Paris Fire Department said a leak of about eight to 10 gallons per minute was spotted on the tanker when it was used at a fire several weeks ago. Frost said the tank had also done some damage to the chassis, which is the third one it has been placed on.

In a letter to the selectmen, Frost states that the 2,250-gallon tank was donated by CN Brown. However, he said the tank was designed to carry oil rather than water, and that the tank weighed 4,950 pounds more when filled with water instead of oil. The department determined it was impractical to repair the tank and it was later sold for scrap.

“We’re in another dilemma,” Frost said. “We’re without a tank truck right now.”

Frost said the options included relying on other departments for tankers, replacing the tank with a new or used poly tank, or purchasing a used tanker. He estimated that a new poly tank would cost $14,000, with additional costs for repairing the chassis and other work, making the final tab approximately $24,000 to $30,000.

“We could see this coming years ago, so we’ve put in for a (federal) F.I.R.E. grant to replace our tank truck,” Frost said. “It’ll be another year before they start giving them out, and another year, year and a half before we get a truck.”

Selectman Lloyd “Skip” Herrick said most of the fires in Paris are in rural areas away from water sources, and also said it was uncertain whether the department would receive a grant.

“I don’t think this is something we can wait for,” Herrick said.

Selectman Troy Ripley said upgrades to fire department equipment are expensive, but necessary for public safety.

“I think we’ve got to be very cautious about telling the Fire Department no,” he said. “They seem to be an area where we cut money, or take equipment from, or postpone equipment because we want to balance the budget.”

Interim Town Manager Michael Thorne said a $15,000 contingency account that was adopted at the annual town meeting could potentially be used for the purchase. According to Frost’s letter, $7,614.32 is also available from a matching grant fund, as well as $405 from the sale of the tank for scrap.

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