Ridgewood Council Green Lights Fire Truck Purchases

The 's fleet will be getting something of a makeover after Wednesday night's council blessing.

According to Fire Chief Jim Van Goor, bids on a came in about $300,000 under what had been budgeted. With a few brief additions, the expected price should come to around $985,000.

Using a combination of money previously saved by the department and bonds, the village had $1.3 million allocated to a new truck, according to Village Manager Ken Gabbert.

The fire department plans on selling off a pumper – which retains higher value than the existing ladder truck – to bring in additional savings.

The council also encouraged the department to send out bid specifications for a new engine truck after it was. The total cost of the engine is estimated to be around $385,000 to $395,000.

It must make the purchase within a year of grant approval, Van Goor said. The council still has the option to not pull the trigger if they find bids too high.