A St. Stephen Fire Department vehicle in this July 4, 2020, file photo. (File photo/Brad Perry)
The Town of St. Stephen could soon be home to a new ladder truck to aid in battling blazes.
The truck is expected to cost around $1.5 million and will be equipped with a 100-foot ladder, giving firefighters a step up when handling fires in taller buildings.
The Municipal Capital Borrowing Board approved a $1.039 million loan over 15 years, and $172,000 over three years.
Mayor Allan MacEachern says the town currently depends on help from the emergency services fleet in Calais, Maine, to fight bigger fires.
“They’ve been relying on Calais, Maine’s ladder truck, and when you’re relying on another country it doesn’t really set the standards as far as provincial standards,” he said.
MacEachern believes the new purchase will benefit both sides of the border.
“We have more firefighting power than most cities have when they join forces,” MacEachern said. “With COVID-19 it’s been a little more difficult because they don’t travel freely over the (border).”
The mayor says the new ladder truck has long been a priority of council, and they’ve been setting aside $100,000 annually the past few years to help make the purchase.
