A volunteer fire company in Juniata County has found an innovative solution to combat rising equipment costs while maintaining essential emergency services for local residents.
Thompsontown Volunteer Fire Company
recently acquired a used fire engine at a fraction of the cost of purchasing a new apparatus, saving Juniata County taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process.
“We recently found a used piece of fire apparatus for sale,” said Deputy Chief Jeff Miller, a retired Harrisburg firefighter. “The price was very, very affordable.”
The purchase represents significant savings for the borough of
approximately 623 people
.
New fire trucks can cost between $800,000 and two million dollars and often require three to five years to build before being put into service. Thompsontown’s secondhand engine cost approximately $27,000, with an additional $100,000 invested in refurbishment.
“We’re still ahead of the ball game by doing that,” Miller explained.
The fire engine, designated as Engine Eight, previously served a fire company in upstate New York. Despite being in service for several years, Miller noted the vehicle has relatively low mileage, making it an ideal candidate for refurbishment.
For Miller, the decision reflects fiscal responsibility to the community.
“With the price of everything, you just can’t continue to ask the taxpayers to keep getting taxed to death,” he said.
The fire company relies on a combination of taxpayer funds, donations and fundraisers to operate. However, volunteer shortages have limited fundraising capabilities.
“Volunteerism is at an all-time low,” Miller stated.
Skylar Walton, who has volunteered with the company for nearly seven years, expressed concern about the declining number of volunteers.
“We have a lot of members who are getting older, and not so many [are] coming in,” Walton said. “We have a large need for junior members so we can keep up.”
Fellow volunteer firefighter Nick Schaeffer has served in both fire and EMS over the last three years and says there are more people at the company than when he first started, but a few extra hands can go a long way.
“The more manpower, the better to help people with what they need when they’re calling,” Schaeffer said.
The fire company expects the engine to be in service within the next few weeks, after it is inspected and loaded with equipment.
