Voters Asked To Replace Old Clark Twp. Fire Truck
1 Mill Would Also Buy New Ambulance
By Amy Polk

At left: Clark Township will ask voters to levy one mill against their taxes to raise money to replace this 1982 converted milk truck that is now being used as a fire tanker to transport water to fire scenes. Firefighters want to replace the vehicle with a vacuum tanker, which can draw water from greater distance than the present tanker.

The frame on Clark Township's water truck is bent and weak, said Clark Township Fire Chief Chet Kasper, as could be expected for a converted milk truck.

"The design of this vehicle," he said, "was not intended for fire service. Milk trucks are designed to haul full loads for short periods of time, at the end of their route, and, normally, they remain empty."

The strain of holding water all the time is causing the 1982 frame to fail, and the fire department wants to replace it with a new vacuum tanker truck. A new ambulance is also needed to replace a 12-year-old vehicle, so the township is asking voters for the money in the form of a one-mill levy for one year in the Tuesday, August 8, primary election. One mill assesses $1 for each $1,000 of taxable property value.

If passed, it will be collected in the winter 2006 tax bill and raise $167,416. Up to $180,000 in the township's emergency services equipment fund will also be used for the new trucks.

Mr. Kasper said the water tanker is plagued with many problems, including engine compression and rust.

"This adapted milk truck is 24 years old," he said, "and we calculate it has been driven over 174,000 miles. It gave us a lot of good years of service, but now it's just worn out and becoming unsafe."

A replacement vacuum tanker, on the other hand, is considered new technology for fire departments, "using proven technology found in sewer trucks," Mr. Kasper said. "The benefits are simple operation, faster loading and unloading of water, and more suction to draw water from a source 100 feet away. It loads 3,500 gallons of water in less than four minutes."

The ability to deliver enough water to fight a fire is especially critical for properties far from the Lake Huron waterfront, he added. Clark Township Fire Department responds to fires as far as 10 miles from the lake, or more, where a water source can be scarce.

"What I like best about these new trucks is that they can deliver 3,500 gallons of water in half the time it takes to deliver 2,300 gallons using our existing system," Mr. Kasper said, "and they are easier to operate than our current system. We need a tanker that can hold more water to service homes north of the lake."

The present system of dumping water out of the tank, filling a portable reservoir on the ground, and refilling the tanker is a slow operation, Mr. Kasper said.

"We need a much faster system for loading water into the tanker. On average, it takes from 25 to 45 minutes to transport a second tank of water to a fire scene," he added. "Slow water operations put firefighters and property at risk. It is dangerous to run out of water at a fire scene. As development in the township moves north, ready sources of water that can be used to fill this vehicle are limited, increasing the time for round-trip water delivery."

Ambulance Corps Captain Mark Merchberger said Clark Township originally planned to replace its 1995 ambulance chassis after 10 years and to keep the box that holds the patients for 20 years. Now, the corps believes both should be replaced.

There is no heat in the driver compartment, he noted, and the aging suspension makes for a bumpy and uncomfortable ride for patients.

Improvements to ambulances over the last decade reduce injuries to patients and emergency medical technicians inside, if the vehicle is involved in a crash or fast stop, such as to avoid a deer, he said.