Mahoning Township has agreed to back its fire department in its quest to obtain another rescue pumper.

On a 4-0 measure, supervisors on Wednesday voted to fund yearly loan payments from the township fire tax fund $185,000, 2% loan from state fire commissioners’ office taken out for 15 years.

Yearly loan payments are to be paid by the township from the fire company fund for the 2019 Pierce Rescue Pumper.

The fire department will use $200,000 donation as a down payment, $25,000 fire company fund, and $5,000 fire relief fund.

Mahoning Valley fire Chief Mark Ebbert told the board the fire department still doesn’t have the truck, but that it possibly could by the end of the year.

Supervisor Ronald Wenrich was absent.

In March, supervisors agreed to have the fire department look into the bidding process for a used truck.

The fire department is seeking to replace its 26-year-old truck.

Ebbert at that time discussed a rescue pumper replacement project.

He noted that prices have gone up drastically, and estimated a new rescue pumper would be anywhere from $850,000 to $1.2 million.

Ebbert said the fire department has been applying for Federal Emergency Management Agency grants for the past two years, and that due to the limitations of grants combined with price increases, the department realizes it may never see a brand-new truck again.

As a result, he said the department was interested in a 2019 truck with 26,000 miles on it and asked the board to help support the project.

Ebbert said the asking price for the used truck is $449,000, which he said seems fair.

He said they would buy the truck from a broker, as the truck is from a town in Missouri.

Ebbert said the broker would buy the vehicle from a fire department, and the broker would look to resell it.

He said it would be trucked from Missouri to Alabama, and then from Alabama to the area.

It was noted that the fire department would have to go through a bidding process.

Ebbert said there have been a lot of inquiries about the truck.

The fire department would utilize money from its fire company fund, he said.