Fire chief says U.F. needs a new ladder truck now BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer UPPER FREEHOLD - Whether or not warehouses go up on Breza Road, the community needs a new ladder truck to fight fires, according to the local fire chief. Opponents of the proposed construction of 1.8 million square feet of warehouse space on Breza Road have stated that approving the project would necessitate the purchase of a ladder truck. However, according to Hope Fire Company Chief Brad Carter, the community already has a need for such a truck. Carter said the fire company has been working with Upper Freehold Township and Allentown for a few years toward funding the purchase of a ladder truck. "A new ladder truck purchased today could cost our community around $850,000," Carter said. "Be aware that prices of fire apparatus increase annually." While the new equipment would be used at the warehouse complex if it is built, Carter said the truck would address the greater life-safety hazard that exists at the new single-family homes in the township. According to Carter, the large setbacks of newer subdivisions combined with the increasing use of lightweight wood truss construction means the community needs a ladder truck now. He said its need has nothing to do with the proposed warehouse application by New York City's Rockefeller Group. Any residential construction in the area completed in the past 10 years likely contains lightweight wood truss construction, he said. This type of construction does not allow for firefighting operations on the roofs of houses, and a ladder truck must be used for those operations, according to Carter. Several residents who live in houses with lightweight wood truss construction were asked their views on the purchase of a ladder truck. Ed Smires, who lives in the Woods at Cream Ridge development, said he does not know the facts about the integrity of roof structures and their weight-bearing capabilities, or if a bucket truck or an extension-ladder truck would be necessary as a result of these things. Smires said, "I do think it makes sense when you take into consideration that most homes in Upper Freehold are on large lots and tend to sit back from the roads that they are located on, and that a truck that could shoot water at a long distance - which a ladder or bucket truck can perform - would be a great tool for the fire company. "I think any time that you can enable the fireman to fight a fire from a safer distance should also be taken into consideration," he added. Smires said he has never had to fight a fire, but that he based his opinion on what he considers common sense. Another Woods at Cream Ridge resident, Patrick Nolan, said, "There is no price tag you can put on improving the capabilities of brave people who may be called upon to save you or your family in a fire." Nolan said he trusts the fire chief to know what he needs to improve firefighting capabilities. "I support the purchase [of a ladder truck] 100 percent," Nolan said. "I'm confident that if he didn't need it, he wouldn't be asking for it." Nolan said he is glad that the chief's wishes were brought to light irrespective of the warehouse issue. "The two issues do not seem connected, and it's unfortunate that they have been linked," he said. As a homeowner and resident in Upper Freehold for almost five years, James Derasmo said he has seen the rapid growth and expansion of the community. "One would expect that with change and growth, new and previously unanticipated needs [will] arise," he said. Derasmo said he has gotten to know some of the firefighters from the Hope Fire Company and is very confident that if Carter feels a ladder truck is necessary, he believes him and would support him. "If our brave volunteers feel that this piece of equipment is necessary to fight fires and save lives, that is definitely good enough for me," Derasmo said. Thomas Frascella, who formerly lived in and served as an elected official in West Windsor Township but now lives in the Grande at Old York subdivision in Upper Freehold, said that West Windsor ordered a ladder truck for both of its volunteer stations due to the concerns regarding the truss construction of new houses. "The metal plates that secure the 2-by-4 roof supports would melt, eliminating roof support without warning," Frascella said. "This created a high risk for the volunteers who were on the roof." According to Frascella, the ladder trucks in West Windsor have been in service since 1993. Although they are primarily used because of the trusses, Frascella said the trucks also provide fire personnel with options when they need to get above a fire. Township Administrator Barbara Bascom said Upper Freehold Township currently relies on the use of neighboring municipalities' ladder trucks. "We have a terrific mutual aid system in place," Bascom said, "and just as we may use another municipalities' ladder truck, they are dependent on some of our equipment." She said the township appropriates funds each year to an account for firefighting equipment. "We have an account titled Reserve for Acquisition for Fire Equipment," Bascom said. "Each year at budget time, we discuss [what] equipment [is] needed." She said the company gives the township a priority list for truck purchases, which is why the township recently bought a tanker. The borough of Allentown shared the expense of the last two fire trucks the township purchased, according to Bascom. She said a fire in a building in downtown Allentown would also require the use of a ladder truck.