Cinnaminson Fire Department in Need of Two New Trucks

The Cinnaminson Fire Department is in need of two new trucks and will ask voters to approve a referendum later this month that would update the department’s fleet.

Fire Chief William Kramer said two of the fire district’s trucks—a pumper and a rescue pumper—are nearly 20 years old and it’s time for new vehicles.

The purchase of the two vehicles will not increase the fire tax for taxpayers here.

Both vehicles are models from 1994 and have been costing the department several thousand a year in repair costs and hundreds of hours in offline time, Kramer added.

“Both have exceeded their life expectancies,” Kramer said.

The district plans ahead for apparatus replacement, Kramer said, and is now debt-free. The payments for the new trucks would be stretched out over the next 15 years.

The pumper truck needed is “the bread and butter” fire truck, Kramer said. It carries 750 gallons of water, fire hose and equipment for firefighters to work inside burning buildings.

The rescue pumper operates as a rescue company and has specialized equipment for entrapment incidents.

The life expectancy of the two potential vehicles is between 18 to 20 years, Kramer said.

The fire department has $400,000 toward the purchase of the two vehicles that will cost a total of $1.2 million over a six-year payment plan.

There are four major pieces of apparatus between the department’s two stations—two pumper trucks, one rescue pumper and one ladder company. If the referendum is approved, the department will call on a private company for help with bid specifications. Once bids are received, Kramer said, they will be analyzed and the lowest bidder will be chosen.

Before a contract is awarded, the plan must go before the state’s local finance board for review and a final decision.

Once the contract is issued, the apparatuses will be delivered after about nine months, the chief said.

“We’d be looking toward the end of the year before we actually see delivery,” Kramer said.

Kramer will hold a 45-minute presentation tonight at the township community center to talk about the department, its needs and the upcoming referendum.

Residents can ask questions to the chief. It will be held at 7 p.m. and everyone is invited. The referendum vote is at the community center from 2 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27.

The Cinnaminson Fire Department runs out of two stations—one on Cinnaminson Avenue and one on Taylors Lane. There are 14 career staff members and about 45 active volunteers. The fire department responds to about 1,300 to 1,400 calls a year and to date, are well over 1,000 already, Kramer said.