Claim settlement means new fire pumper at lower cost for township
Thursday, May 22, 2008
A new fire pumper for the Liberty Twp. Fire Department will cost the township only $16,019.
That's because an insurance settlement from a 1988 pumper that wrecked on Ohio 4 earlier this year is expected to pay for $374,000 of the vehicle's $390,019 cost.
Extras
Trustees voted Monday, May 20, to authorize full payment to the Sutphen Corporation for the purchase of the new vehicle, which can pump 1,500 gallons of water per minute.
The insurance settlement will allow the department to replace a 1994 pumper at its Yankee Road station with the newer vehicle in 10 to 12 months, several years earlier than planned, said Liberty Twp. Fire Chief Paul Stumpf. The older vehicle then can be shifted to reserve status, a move that Stumpf said will help keep the township's insurance rates down.
The township, which had planned to move the 1988 pumper to reserve status earlier this year, ended up replacing it several days after the accident with a 2008 model that it ordered last year.
"It's unfortunate that we had the accident but it's come out as a benefit for the township," Stumpf said.
That benefit includes standardization of the department's vehicles, allowing personnel to switch from one to the other with increased efficiency.
Also at Monday's meeting, trustees honored Frank Peters, who agreed to serve as deputy fiscal officer on an interim basis starting April 17 after Roger Reynolds resigned from the position to be appointed Butler County Auditor.
Peters vacated the position May 13 when trustees appointed Pam Quinlisk.
A lifelong township resident, Peters donated all $1,038.77 of his take-home pay toward Liberty Twp. Fire Department's training program.
"The Peters family has never had an opportunity to give what we consider a sizeable amount for us, so this was a good opportunity to give back" to the township, he said.
