Merrick Fire Department to get three new trucks

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The Merrick Fire Department’s equipment is set for an update.

On Feb. 26, the Town of Hempstead Board approved the purchase of three new trucks for the department, for a total of $3.76 million. The purchase includes one fire engine and two ladder trucks.

Ron Luparello, the department spokesman and a member of Merrick Truck Company No. 1, said that the purchases have become necessary. “We have an aging fleet,” he said. “They’ve all been subject to the effects of Sandy.”

Luparello said that the trucks “took a toll” in the 2012 storm that ravaged Long Island. They suffered damage to their electrical equipment, and despite repairs, the trucks’ operational abilities have declined since then, he said.

“There was damage alone from that,” he said of Sandy, “besides how old they’ve gotten.” He explained that the trucks are now at least 20 years old. Typically, he added, Long Island fire departments receive new trucks every 20 years.

Tom Basso, captain of Merrick Hook and Ladder Co. 1, said the company’s current bucket truck was almost wholly inoperable after Sandy. “We were not able to drive. We were not able to lift the ladder,” he said. The truck spent a year in a repair shop, having its electrical systems replaced, after it was driven through nearly six feet of water, Basso said.

The company’s replacement bucket truck — a 95-foot lift manufactured by Seagrave — will be ideal for fires and emergencies at businesses, Basso said. Many firefighters can use it at a time to gain access to roofs and other access points.

Their new addition, a 100-foot “straight stick” ladder truck, will be primarily used for house fires, to gain access to windows and more.

Truck Company No. 1’s new fire engine mirrored another one approved for purchase for the department by the Town Board in 2016, which helps lower engineering costs. There will be minor tweaks, including door styles, type of seating and window visibility.

At the Feb. 26 meeting, Councilwoman Erin King Sweeney, who represents the area, thanked Councilman Anthony D’Esposito for his efforts to finalize the plans. “I’d like to acknowledge and thank the Merrick Fire Department,” King Sweeney said. “It was a very thoughtful process that we went through. Councilman D’Esposito really helped along the way. Approving fire trucks is a very complicated process, one I didn’t realize until we spent hours going over” the specifications.

“To the men and women of the Merrick Fire Department, thank you for all you do for the Town of Hempstead,” D’Esposito added. “Stay safe.”

“It was time for a change,” Basso said. “Now that the department won’t be having issues, we can get our trucks to emergencies no problem, which is great.”

The trucks are expected to be completed by the end of this year or early next year, Luparello said. Residents will be able to see the two ladder trucks around town under numbers 6411 and 6412.

“As captain,” Basso said, “I know my company is ecstatic.”