Politics & Government

How Much is That Fire Truck On the Corner?

The Easton Volunteer Fire Department's old fire rescue truck is currently for sale, with a reduced asking price of $12,000.

A big red fire truck with a "For Sale" sign in its windshield at the corner of Sport Hill and Center roads is a hard sight to miss as traffic moves through the center of town. The 1987 Pierce Dash model truck racked up around 42,000 miles and "substantially more hours" while serving as the Easton Volunteer Fire Department's rescue vehicle over the years, according to Fire Chief Steven Waugh.

"It's served the town very well," Waugh said. "That truck saved a lot of lives and a lot of property over the years. It was designed to be a 20-year-vehicle and, obviously, we got a lot more out of it than that."

The old truck became expendable last July, when the town bought a new Pierce Dash model for $613,356.

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Aside from its age, Waugh said another reason to replace the old truck was to upgrade the extrication system, which powers the Jaws of Life tool firefighters use to free drivers and passengers stuck inside the wreckage after a motor vehicle crash.

"It allows us to deal with the more sophisticated metal of the cars on the road now," Waugh said. "Cars are made safer, which is great, but it's harder for us to get into them."

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Waugh said the new extrication system is called the Amkus Rescue System, adding it's built into the truck.

Fire Truck for Sale

When the older truck outlived its usefulness for Easton, Waugh said firefighters had considered donating it to a community in need after Hurricane Sandy hit New England hard last year. If they found a fit, they would have come to First Selectman Thomas Herrmann with it, he explained.

But Waugh said the truck is too large to fit the needs of the towns the fire department had considered.

Herrmann decided to try to recoup some funds by selling the truck.

"We tried to sell it, but it's not a booming market for a 26-year-old fire truck," Herrmann said. "We listed it with brokers."

Waugh said, "We thought it would be helpful to generate a little interest to park the truck on the corner to see if anyone would be curious and ask questions. We've had a lot of questions."

The last vehicle the fire department traded in for Engine One brought in between $40,000 and $50,000, according to Waugh. So far, the 1987 Pierce Dash model's asking price has been reduced to $12,000.

Herrmann said, "It's an asset that has a certain value, so we want to do our best for the town. I think, at the very least, we could sell it for scrap — $1,800 would be the low mark."

'Chief of Pizza Fire Trucks'

Based on research and feedback from brokers, the first selectman said there are three types of buyers most likely to be interested in an old fire truck:

  1. A rural, all-volunteer fire company in economically depressed areas like the South
  2. An eccentric with lots of space
  3. Someone who would turn it into a pizza truck
Herrmann said the town has gotten a nibble from the third type of buyer. He has been negotiating with Sal Ajro, owner of Sal's Verona On Wheels: Wood-Fired Brick Oven Pizza Fire Truck. The business is based in Southington.

On his website, FireTruckPizza.org, Ajro says, "Friends call me the 'Chief of Pizza Fire Trucks' in Connecticut."

No deal for the fire truck has been struck so far. Anyone interested in the truck should call the First Selectman's Office at (203) 268-6291.


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