Towamensing Volunteer Fire Company has kick-started the process to invest in some much-needed new equipment, according to Fire Chief Jeremy Haydt.

During the department’s report at Thursday’s Towamensing board of supervisors’ meeting, Haydt discussed the acquisition of a new truck that will replace an outdated engine and a damaged tanker.That would bring the department up to modern standards and improve the insurance rating.The township’s Insurance Service Office rating has an effect on local property insurance. The system, which determines risk, ranges from 1 to 10, with 1 being the best.“Right now our ISO rating is 9, which is not good at all. Part of the reason is that our equipment is so old. It doesn’t meet the requirements for a better rating,” Haydt said.“Right now we’re running an engine from ’74, that’s 43 years old. It’s getting expensive to fix, parts are hard to get for it, and when you fix one thing, you create another problem,” Haydt said.“We’re looking to replace that engine, plus our tanker that we just lost the pump on in September — that’s from ’84, 33 years old.”Haydt said that the department is looking into a truck that can handle both jobs, carry at least six firefighters, and store even more water with a larger booster tank.“We want to meet the requirements of a pumper and a tanker in one shot,” he said. “What that does in the long run is it helps us reduce operating costs, and at the same time, we’re also increasing our capability to fight fires.”Researching fundingCombination trucks are a popular option right now, according to the manufacturers Haydt has spoken with so far. Fortunately, purchasing from a business in-state comes with the benefit of some price breaks.“There are several quality manufacturers in Pennsylvania that we’ll be looking into, seeing if they can help us out,” Haydt said.About a dozen people, including department members on the operating and business sides, are contributing time and energy into the research efforts.The department is exploring the possibilities of state and federal grants to fund the truck, an option that recently opened up thanks to participation in state reporting.State reporting is a fundamental element of the application for grants, as it helps to designate the necessity of new equipment. Haydt said that there is a significant amount of funding available right now, especially for tanker trucks in rural areas — as long as you have a good grant application, backed up by state reporting on calls.“We were one of the only departments not doing it. We missed out on millions of dollars from not doing state reporting,” Haydt said.Once the company decides on the exact specifications for the truck and gets some bids from manufacturers, the grant application process begins. Haydt and the crew are currently asking fellow departments about their experiences with applications, and seeking out recommendations for good grant writers. The applications will be submitted during the fall, and if approved, it will take around two years for a manufacturer to complete a truck. However, it would be well worth the expense and wait.“We depend on ponds, lakes, and dry hydrants, but initially we need a large amount of water when we get to the scene, and a good number of firefighters to start fighting the fires,” Haydt said, emphasizing that the new truck would accomplish both tasks.Though it appears to be a daunting task to tackle, Haydt and the Towamensing crew are ready to get to work on acquiring the new truck, and with better firefighting abilities, lower costs, and improved insurance ratings, it’s well worth the challenge.“It’s a lot of work to undertake in a short amount of time, but I think we’ll get it done. We have a lot of great ideas in place,” Haydt said.