C-Ville Fire Looks to Replace Aging Heavy Rescue – Referendum Happening Next Month

The Cortlandville Fire Department looks to update one of their oldest engines within their department and will need voters’ approval for the purchase through a referendum on October 8th at the Cortlandville Fire Station located at 999 State Route 13 from 6pm to 9pm. Cortlandville Fire looks to replace their 1999 4 Guys Heavy Rescue 1341 with a E-One Heavy Rescue.

Cortlandville’s Heavy Rescue mainly responds to motor vehicle crashes carrying with it the Jaws of Life. Cortlandville Fire Chief Mike Biviano told X101 News the truck responded to 110 motor vehicle crashes in 2023 and so far in 2024, it has responded to 81 accidents with a total of 117 dispatches this year.

Chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners for Cortlandville Fire, Kevin Whitney says the truck is able to hold vital equipment for firefighters during emergencies including a cascade system to refill bottles on scene of a fire, a light tower, vehicle stabilizing equipment, and more.

“The truck goes out a lot. It’s relied on very heavily. It carries all of our extrication equipment, all our shoring equipment. It carries everything.” Whitney said to X101 News.

With the continued use of the truck for nearly 25 years, costs have increased in maintaining the aging truck. Chairman Whitney continued to say repairs in the previous 5 years have added up:

“In the last 5 years, [the department] has spent $45,000 dollars alone in repairs to that apparatus and it just continues to multiply. The other issue that we’re having because the truck is so old, it’s tough to get parts for the parts that keep breaking the mechanical failures that we’ve had. So that’s another struggle we had.” Whitney continued.

Recent mechanical failures for the truck included a broken spring that required the truck to be towed away and then out of service for multiple days. When it is out of service, only vital equipment is able to fit on other trucks within the department.

If approved by voters, the new E-One will essentially be identical to the current heavy rescue. Whitney noted the current truck serves its purpose very well, but is just reaching the end of its useful life and a more reliable and newer truck is now needed.

The new E-One Heavy Rescue would take about 3 years to complete with the chassis being built in Florida before being shipped to Western New York at E-Ones Hamburg facility. The estimated cost for the new Heavy Rescue is around $1.25 million dollars with plans in place to utilize an installment financing up to 15 years.

Once the new truck is put into service in the future, the current 1341 will be sold as surplus.

To be allowed to vote on Tuesday, October 8th from 6 to 9pm at the Cortlandville Fire Station on Route 13, you must be registered to vote and also be a resident of the Town of Cortlandville and have lived in the town for at least 30 days.