Members of the Butler City Fire Department recently drafted and sent a letter to city council requesting a decision about its damaged ladder truck.

The letter, which was signed by fire captains Kevin McAfee, Ted Codispot, Jim Kaufman and Tom Fair, requested a “hastened decision” and called the apparatus “crucial” for the department and the safety of city residents.

“This apparatus has had numerous breakdowns, and down time costing thousands to repair and requiring the Bureau of Fire to rely on aerial coverage from the neighboring volunteer departments,” the letter stated.

The ladder truck has been out of service since late March, following a fire on Center Avenue. There are multiple bends in the 105-foot extendible ladder, which were found during a mandatory inspection earlier this year.

The department's letter noted that the city has several high-rise apartment complexes, office buildings, churches and medical buildings that would “require instantaneous response of an aerial device.” The letter also stated the department was in contact with the chief of a neighboring volunteer department, who the letter stated expressed concern in being able to consistently respond to city fires with its ladder truck.

Kaufman noted a house fire on East Brady Street in July required Meridian Volunteer Fire Company to respond with its ladder truck. He also commented on the reason for the letter.

“We didn't want it to be put on the back burner and forgotten about,” he said.

Councilwoman Kathy Kline said she is open to all possibilities regarding repair or replacement. She said the fire department has looked at used ladder trucks, which she said vary in cost based on their quality.

Kline also said she is open to repairing the ladder on the current truck, but expressed concern with that option because the truck is nearly 20 years old and there is “absolutely no guarantee” it will hold up.

Kline estimated the cost of a new truck to be between $750,000 and $1 million. She said the process of finding a new ladder truck to buy could take a few weeks, and the next step would be bringing the matter to council.

“We have been planning and looking, but that takes time because it's a little more than just going and buying a family vehicle,” she said.

Kline acknowledged that finances are an issue with a new truck, and said she is looking into grant money to buy a ladder truck.

Butler Mayor Tom Donaldson also expressed concerns about repairing an old fire truck, and said while safety is important, the city doesn't have the money in this year's budget to pay for a replacement ladder truck.

“We can't and shouldn't rush into this,” Donaldson said. “The (firefighters) are correct; we need to answer this, but this is a very complex situation.”

He said council would have to find a way to include a replacement in next year's budget, and that he has looked into getting grants for a ladder truck.

Donaldson noted the city has the option to seek out a loan, but it would cost more than loans in the past because the city's bond rating was recently lowered from Class “A” to “BBB.”

He also said taking out a loan would require the city to raise taxes.

Councilman Kenny Bonus also emphasized finances, saying as the current budget stands, there is no money for a replacement fire truck.

“This is one of those things where you need to have a fund, where councils in the past should have been putting money toward a fire engine fund,” said Bonus, who added that he understood past councils have had financial constraints.

He noted the city has purchased ladder trucks that were floor models, meaning they were not previously used to fight fires, at a discounted price. He mentioned this as a potential option.

“It is a critical piece of the fire department,” Bonus added. “It helps to ensure the safety of our citizens, and I think we're going to try to work together to find the best resolution that wouldn't cost the city as much.”

Councilman Michael Walter said that the issue would have been dealt with sooner, but July's flooding of the west side of Butler pushed back the matter.

Councilman Corey Roche could not be reached for comment Wednesday.