Pine Plains Fire Company: Voters give the OK to bond for new pumper

PINE PLAINS — Inclined to support entities dedicated to protecting the community, local voters backed the Pine Plains Fire Company’s need to purchase a new pumper by dropping by the Pine Plains fire station on Tuesday, Aug. 11, to cast their vote in a special election.

Designed to draw water from any available resource, a pumper is an indispensable piece of equipment for fire personnel. For the members of the Pine Plains Fire Company, pumpers, or fire trucks, play a vital role in extinguishing fires, especially given that “there are no hydrants at most of the outlying homes in the area,” according to Pine Plains town Supervisor Darrah Cloud, who explained the hardships the town’s volunteer firefighting crew faces in a newsletter last month. Additionally, the department uses its pumper as a second-due engine to ensure its water supply when fighting fires and as its mutual aid fire truck when responding to calls not only in Pine Plains, but in neighboring municipalities such as Millerton, Ancram, Milan, Stanfordville or any others in need. 

As it stands, the department’s current pumper has been more of a hindrance than a help seeing as the department has reportedly spent a great deal of money on repairs. Since the fire company plans for a new piece of apparatus in its budget every five years, now seemed like the perfect time for the department to purchase a new pumper, according to Fire Chief Brian Walsh.

Examining their options for a new pumper, the department expressed an interest in purchasing a 2021 Class A Pumper at a maximum estimated cost of $375,000. In addition to using $100,000 from its savings, the department plans to bond $275,000 to cover the remainder of the cost of purchasing the new pumper. Yet before it could issue the bonds, it had to hold a special referendum for registered voters of the fire district to vote to either adopt or reject a resolution to authorize the fire company to bond the $275,000.

Located at 7 Lake Road, the referendum drew a steady stream of voters into the Pine Plains firehouse between 6 and 9 p.m. on Aug. 11. Voters were required to wear face masks as they entered the firehouse’s main lobby to cast their ballots; they were also conscientious about maintaining a safe distance from one another while they awaited their turn to vote. After checking in, voters received a paper ballot, and with a few quick flicks of the pen, the ballots were completed and submitted.

“It’s just going to be more efficient,” Pine Plains resident Robert Ambrose said after casting his vote, when asked how the purchase will enhance the fire company’s ability to serve the town and its residents.

“It sounds as if they need the ability to pump water,” resident Murphy Birdsall remarked. “They’ve been keeping their old truck going with a lot of money, and I know what that’s like to put a lot of money into something.”

By 9:15 p.m. on Tuesday evening, the votes had been tallied: out of a total of 77 votes cast, 68 votes were in favor of authorizing the fire department to issue the $275,000 in bonds while nine votes were against the resolution.

“It means a lot,” Walsh said of the support. “It shows that the community stands behind us and we’re there for them as well as them being there for us.”

Taking the next step toward purchasing the new pumper, Walsh said the department planned to open sealed bids on Tuesday, Aug. 18, for the pumper. Once the department’s Truck Committee goes through the bids, he said the fire company will make a recommendation to its commissioners, who will then accept the bid package for the new pumper.