This guy made a point

[WNYresident]

This was in the blow off your steam section of the www.metrocommunitynews.com.

They acutually bought a 100 foot ladder truck? Thats like 10 stories.. What is the tallest building in depew?

Mike, Depew: I see the village has bought a new ladder truck for the fire department. It’s nice to see my tax dollars at work, for a truck we have no use for. Where in the village do we have any buildings over 30 feet that would necessitate spending almost $1 million to buy a 100-foot ladder truck? The time has come to end all this foolish spending and review what needs to be bought and replaced. Just because we had a ladder truck before doesn’t mean we still need one. I’m sick of paying taxes for useless equipment, so we can show off to other departments.

[Night Owl]

Okay, this guy has really been misinformed on the real reasons for the new ladder truck in Depew... begining with the price that was no where near a million dollars. The new truck was built and purchased to replace a semi-inadequate truck from the late 70's that was sold to another company in Niagara County. The amount the older truck sold for went into to taking off the price for the new one which was only allocated at about 750 thousand, thus reducing dramitcally what the Village paid for it.. making it considerably less than a million.

Secondly, the advantages in having the new truck is far greater for one, becuase there is less maintenance with a newly manufactured truck. The sheer size, though not needed to extend 100 feet in the air all of the time has the capabilities of reaching situations more horizonally as well as vertically.

The idea for the purchase of the new truck is last on the list of wanting to 'show off' when lives are on the line every time a call comes in. It is important to all towns, cities, villages, hamlets and etc. to have new and properly funtional equipment due to the extent of safety. And the new truck has been operational for a few months.

Looking to the future was also on the minds of the village because, while buildings do not reach much more than 30 feet high now... that may all change down the road. Another factor is the concept that often times companies from one area is called into another when situations arise of more man(and/or woman)power.

Now for my personal opinion, I think this guy is sour grapes over something that he knows not much about.

[Night Owl]

From what I've heard by a few different people in Depew, the purchase of this new truck was justifiably right.

When you look at the figures, even going with what the Village board allocated on the purchase, if the truck lasts 30 years like the one it replaced it only comes out to about $6.85 a day. deviding that by the X amount of population in Depew... it will come out to just pennies for such a wise purchase.