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Hills, Martin Township discuss fire truck, fire hall

By
Mavis Fodness

Martin Township and the city of Hills, which jointly operate the Hills Fire Department, met July 14 about improving the fire hall and upgrading fire equipment.
The two entities had discussed options the previous night at the township meeting.
Hills Fire Chief Jared Rozeboom shared results of a recent truck inspection at the council meeting.
“Basically we have a truck that doesn’t have a workable pump,” he said.
The inspection of the department’s three trucks revealed one truck’s stuffing box leaks at different times due to a broken seal. Repairs range from $2,500 to $14,000, depending on the extent of the replacement.
Both Martin Township and Hills city leaders agreed to the pump’s repairs as other options are weighed.
Rozeboom also presented two quotes to replace the fire truck approved for repairs. The quotes ranged from $268,000 to $298,000.
“One of the things we tried to do with this truck is to increase our (water holding) capacities,” Rozeboom said.
As a rural service department, water is carried to most fire scenes. The new, single-axle truck would be able to carry about 1,900 gallons to the scene.
The new truck’s design factors in a smaller size in order to fit into the current fire hall.
Rozeboom said an equipment panel, for instance, could be moved to a different location, allowing the truck to fit under the overhead doors.
Both council members and supervisors must agree to the truck replacement and share costs 50/50.
The new truck would take a year or more to build. Cost, in at least one of the quotes, is scheduled to increase this fall.
The city of Hills has allocated funds for the city’s half of a truck replacement cost but not the entire amount, according to Mayor Keith Elbers.
For large capital purchases, township supervisors are required by state statute to ask township residents to vote before bonding or levying takes place.
The township’s annual meeting is currently scheduled for March 2021.
Township officials recognize the importance of the volunteer fire department, but farmers within the township are currently under financial stress due to low commodity prices.
Supervisor Nathan Fick said he’s not sure a vote right now would end positively.
“Reality in the ag world is terrible — very much like it was in the ’80s,” he said. “Every farmer is relying on the bank to survive.”
In addition to a new fire truck, city and township officials also discussed the size of the fire hall and options to improve its current size to accommodate today’s larger equipment.
Fire Chief Rozeboom said a USDA grant is available for fire departments and could be used for the fire truck purchase; however, the money must be spent before the grant is released.
“The grant is a $50,000 reimbursement,” he said.
Martin Township supervisors’ next meeting is Aug. 10.

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