Barrington's old fire truck finds a new home

Barrington sells old ladder truck to fire department in Washington for $50K

By Josh Bickford
Posted 1/15/21

The Barrington Fire Department’s old ladder truck may be gone, but it is not forgotten.

In fact, during the recent council meeting, the truck became the subject of a brief discussion. Early …

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Barrington's old fire truck finds a new home

Barrington sells old ladder truck to fire department in Washington for $50K

Posted

The Barrington Fire Department’s old ladder truck may be gone, but it is not forgotten.

In fact, during the recent council meeting, the truck became the subject of a brief discussion. Early in the meeting, Barrington Town Council member Jacob Brier asked Fire Chief Gerald Bessette if the department had decided to sell its old ladder truck or donate it. Officials had weighed both options after the town purchased a new $1 million ladder truck.

Chief Bessette said the town listed the old ladder truck on a nationwide auction website; there was no fee to list the fire truck. He said a fire department from Washington state purchased Barrington’s old ladder truck for $50,000. Chief Bessette also mentioned that the vehicle had made the cross-country trek without any issues and that Washington fire department was “quite happy with the purchase.”

Months ago, Barrington resident Tom "TR" Rimoshytus, himself a firefighter in another Rhode Island community, requested that the Barrington Fire Department donate its old ladder truck to the volunteer fire department in Errol, N.H. Mr. Rimushytus said the closest ladder truck to Errol is about an hour away. Errol is located in Coos County, north of the White Mountains.

At that time, Chief Bessette said he was familiar with the Errol fire department, adding that Barrington had already donated some used equipment to them. However, the fire chief said Barrington’s old ladder truck belonged to the town and therefore he owed it to taxpayers to explore the option of selling the vehicle.

Town’s new fire truck

Equipped with a 100-foot aerial ladder (25 feet longer than the old ladder truck), the new engine also has a larger water tank and a series of upgrades designed to keep local firefighters safer on the job. The new vehicle offers higher railings on the ladder, and a 500-gallon water tank, compared the 300-gallon tank on the old ladder truck.

The new ladder truck is referred to as a "quint." In addition to the aerial ladder, it also provides ground ladders, a 1,250-gallon-per-minute water pump, a supply hose, and a large water tank. It is operated by two men on emergency calls.

More than a year ago, Barrington officials discovered the old ladder truck had been rusting badly. The chief said he had hoped to run the old ladder truck for a few more years, but a vehicle inspection team recommended that the department replace the ladder truck about two years ahead of schedule.

The new ladder truck cost taxpayers about $1,096,900.

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