Brockport Fire Department
to purchase truck and equipment

It took more than a year of number crunching and planning but the figures are in for the purchase of a new fire truck for the Brockport Fire Department, Chief Greg Wing said at the village board meeting on August 18.

"The committee presented us with figures last year that I wasn't happy with so I asked them to go back and re-work it and they came back with a purchase price for a new truck that was substantially less than last year's figure," Wing said.

The new truck comes with a $274,688 price tag: $259,200 for the truck, $15,488 for options and a $4,700 rebate.

"This truck is the Crown Victoria of the fire department," Wing explained. Also on the agenda for the department was the purchase of Lifepaks, the automatic external defibrillators that are now required to be in all public places. "Firefighting is the most dangerous job in the world and if this piece of equipment could save the life of one of our own, it would be more than worth it," Wing said.

With the purchase of 13 units, all of Brockport's fire emergency vehicles would be equipped with the device, which if used in the crucial first few minutes of a heart attack, could save a life. The units will cost $35,750 and will be paid for out of third party billing money, Wing explained. "The police department's vehicles should be equipped with them and the village offices should have one of these units," Wing said.

Police Chief Dan Varrenti said he agreed "150 percent" with Wing, but the overtime costs to train his officers would be costly. "If the village would be willing to cover the overtime costs I would jump at the chance to have this equipment," Varrenti said. "I just don't have the money in my budget." The units, Wing said, could be paid for out of third party billing for the police department also.

Trustee Peter DeToy said the units are essential for police vehicles. "The police are at the scenes of accidents sometimes before the ambulances get there," he said. "I can't think anyone would object to equipping the police vehicles."