STONE HARBOR – The Stone Harbor 2023 municipal budget includes plans for a $1.3 million purchase of a replacement fire truck. The truck is a replacement for an existing vehicle that has reached its 15-year lifespan, a point at which the borough’s replacement plan calls for a new purchase.
Fire Chief Robert Stanford explained to Stone Harbor Borough Council April 18 that the replacement plan was based on National Fire Protection Standards (NFPS). The plan, Stanford said, was developed at the council’s request in 1992 to prevent multiple pieces of expensive equipment from coming up for replacement at the same time.
Just prior to the council’s April 18 meeting, the Stone Harbor Property Owner’s Association (SHPOA) questioned the budget item stating, “It is not uncommon in New Jersey for communities similar to Stone Harbor to utilize well-maintained equipment such as a fire truck for 25 years or more.”
In a letter to the council, SHPOA stated, “The replacement of this truck should be evaluated in light of the other capital demands facing the borough and consideration should be given to extending the use of such equipment.”
In his comments to the council, Stanford noted that wait times for such equipment are now much longer than they used to be.
“If we order this truck today, we are likely to see it in two to three years,” Stanford said.
No specific vote was taken, but the council members showed no inclination to alter the plan for the replacement truck. The item remained in the 2023 capital budget.
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