Fire dept. gets grant for rescue truck
By April Baumgarten
The Hazen Fire Department dominated the City Commission agenda Monday with a fire truck grant and ordinance that would charge nonresidents for emergency services from the department.
The first on the list was to ask the city for funds to help pay for a rescue fire truck. Fire Chief Dan Wettstein reported during a meeting at City Hall that the department got a $75,000 grant from the North Dakota Land Trust, which receives tax money from oil revenues.
“As you can see we have been applying for grants for a new truck for three years,” he said. “We have two years to spend it.”
Wettstein asked the commission to approve $100,000 of its budget for the truck. The funds would come from the fire truck replacement fund. The commissioners unanimously voted to make the funds available on the condition the county helps with the cost.
A new rescue truck would coast approximately $281,000. The county commission has reserved $115,000 for the department. If the county denied funds the department would have to get a loan. Fire department officials believe they can get a loan at a low interest rate.
The fire chief estimated he could sell the old truck for $90,000. The Center Fire Department was interested in purchasing it.
