The fire department’s quest for a new rescue truck cleared a hurdle Tuesday after the town’s Board of Finance gave their blessing to the purchase.
The Finance Board voted 6 – 1 in favor of the purchase, which can’t exceed more than $499,000.
The vote doesn’t mean the fire department can buy the truck yet.
Seymour residents will get the final say in the form of a Town Meeting tentatively scheduled for Nov. 1.
The truck cannot cost more than $499,000 — a point stressed repeatedly by Board of Finance members Tuesday.
A rescue truck is like a Swiss army knife of the firefighter service, packed with tools and specialized rescue equipment ranging from generators to chain saws to the jaws of life.
Rescue trucks get much use in Seymour, thanks to the multitude of car crashes on Route 8.
Firefighters are looking to replace a rescue truck built in 1991. That vehicle is showing its age, firefighters said. During a large fire at the Housatonic Wire in 2010, Seymour had to call in other fire departments to bring in massive portable lights because the one on the rescue truck were not working.
The new truck would be used by the Citizen’s Engine Co.
Great Hill Hose Co. received a new rescue truck in 2009.
Voters rejected the purchase of a new rescue truck in a town-wide referendum in February. However, the rescue truck was in a package of a total of $1.36 million in purchases.
The lone vote against the rescue truck purchase Tuesday was cast by Michelle Walsh. She objected to the fact the Board of Finance did not have enough written material about the purchase. Her complaint was repeated by several of her fellow Finance Board members.
Information for this story was obtained by viewing this video.