A new vehicle is coming to combat fires in Southern Cayuga County.
On Tuesday, voters in the Aurora Ledyard Fire District approved financing the purchase of a new vacuum tanker to replace the district’s current 1998 Volvo tanker. The referendum passed 50-0.
Bill Mullarney is on the district’s Board of Commissioners. He told Finger Lakes News Radio that the truck’s capabilities will prove indispensable for the Aurora Volunteer Fire Department, especially when combatting fires in the county’s more rural areas.
Mullarney added that the new tanker will have a 3,500-gallon capacity with the ability to be filled and emptied in minutes. This will allow the department to quickly fill portable ponds at the scene of a fire to provide extra water. Portable ponds, which Mullarney said are similar to swimming pools, can be quickly set up in areas without access to a source of water to assist in firefighting.
Originally planned to be replaced in 2018, the Volvo will be sold with the money being put back into the district’s reserves. The district is also hoping to receive funding and loans through the USDA’s Rural Development program. The maximum cost of the tanker project cannot exceed $450,000.
The next step for the district is to start the bidding process for the new tanker.
The department is also currently raising funds to replace its 2002 ambulance.
