Damage to the city’s only working ladder truck has the city’s fire department leaning on its neighbors for help.
The 12-year-old ladder truck, known as Truck 2, has been out of service since Nov. 4 when it sustained damage to one of the outriggers during a response to a Colman Street fire.
While the truck runs and still responds to fires, Fire Chief Thomas Curcio said the 100-foot ladder cannot be extended due to safety concerns. New parts are expected to arrive by early December and Curcio said the city's certified mechanic plans to get the truck back into action as quickly as possible.
The city's second ladder truck, a 1992 Sutphen, is out of service and unlikely to ever see action in the city again.
So the city is now in the market for a new ladder truck, which is likely to cost more than $1 million. The department has arrangements in place with fire departments in neighboring towns to respond to every call with smoke or a suspected structure fire.