For the Tabernacle Board of Fire Commissioners, the fifth time turned out to be the charm as residents approved the $650,000 purchase of a new pumper truck in a special election held Oct 12.
“It really was a combination of excitement and anxiety, you almost don’t want to get too hopeful,” Board of Fire Commissioners treasurer Nancy Freeman said. “Seeing that it had been approved by residents was exciting.”
By only a three-vote difference, residents approved the purchase 182–179. Because of the close margin, the board’s excitement was initially tepid.
“Seeing a difference of only three votes we recounted and double-checked everything on our end so we would be ready to respond if there was a challenge or a request to contest the election,” Freeman said. “Hearing from the Burlington County Board of Elections that it was official was when we really could be excited and relieved for the first time.”
The pumper truck will be equipped with a compressed-air foam system that stretches a 500-gallon pumper to 1,500 gallons when air and foam are added. That feature is vital in a town that has no fire hydrants, officials said.
The board had seen the purchase be voted down by residents four different times before this successful attempt. Originally this election was scheduled to take place in July but due to a posting error it had to be rescheduled for October. Unlike a typical election, which requires the fire district to post signs in 10 places 10 days before a vote, special elections mandate that the postings be done 21 days prior. By the time officials learned of the requirement, it was too late to correct the situation.
“We always felt that the biggest thing holding back residents from approving this was just a knowledge of how much we do need this truck. We’ve already responded to 310 calls this year,” Freeman said.
According to Freeman, the board will be drawing up specifications over the next few months before submitting the plans to the Department of Community Affairs. If approved, the plans can then go out for bid. It will take approximately 8 to 10 months for the truck to be built.
When the new truck is delivered, the existing fire truck will be moved to the emergency services building across town. The move is designed to provide more protection to the eastern side of the township and decrease some residents’ homeowner’s insurance costs by as much as $300 per year, according to fire officials.
Despite the election being delayed and unsuccessful attempts in the past, Freeman said she was impressed with voter turnout.
“We had 32 absentee ballots submitted which was our highest ever,” Freeman said. “Our hope is residents know that this purchase is for them and for their safety.”
The district plans to enter into a lease-purchase agreement for the truck to spread the payments over several years. The purchase will not cause fire taxes to rise since $1.6 million bonds will be retired in November, officials said.
