VIDEO: The recent sale of one of the Hinesburg Fire Department’s tanker trucks helped pay for much-needed equipment upgrades for local firefighters.
The sale meant the station was able to buy five new headsets, which Chief Prescott Nadeau said his department desperately needed.
“These headsets belong in the fire truck. They’re wireless, which helps noise reduction. So, when the siren is blaring, that noise is significantly reduced,” said Nadeau.
The truck sold for $135,000. That was $50,000 more than the department asked for. Nadeau said the sale keeps firefighters safe and saves taxpayers money.
“We were able to garner far more money than we ever expected, and we were able to turn that right back into some safety equipment that is not only keeping 100 firefighters safe but for the taxpayers to reduce the load on them through taxes,” said Nadeau.
The Hinesburg station worked with Garage, a company that specializes in selling equipment for fire trucks and ambiances nationwide.
“One common issue in the fire service is that smaller volunteer departments just don’t have the budget to be able to buy a new fire truck that can cost up to $2 million, and so, typically, those are our buyers on the platform,” explained Andrew Purdy, a Garage representative.
Nadeau said working with Garage allowed the Hinesburg station to streamline the sale process and get their truck to a department that needed it. The Hinesburg truck was sold to a fire station in Pennsylvania.
