Repairing the Butler Fire Department’s out-of-service ladder truck is probably not cost-effective, and buying a new one would require creative financing, Mayor Ben Smith said Thursday.

The response of ladder trucks from Butler Township Volunteer Fire District 3 and the Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Department to Wednesday’s fire on West Jefferson Street in Butler revived the issue of the city’s lack of a ladder truck.

The fire displaced 25 tenants and a business from the two-story building.

The city’s ladder truck has been out of service since it was damaged at a house fire in March 2017.

Smith said the truck is old and repairing it would be “fiscally irresponsible.” He said repairs might get the truck back into service for a while, but it would probably break down again and require additional repairs.

He said the condition of the truck is being assessed.

The 2018 budget, which council has reopened, is being looked at, but the city can’t afford to buy a new truck, Smith said.

He called buying a new truck a “nuanced priority” and said it would require creative financing.

Councilman Corey Roche, the director of public safety and the bureau of fire, said council hasn’t discussed the ladder truck recently, but that will change.

“We will be discussing it in the near future,” Roche said. “The issue right now is the actual ladder. The truck runs.”

He said council should discuss equipment and vehicle needs for the fire department, police department and all other departments.

Bureau of Fire Capt. Jim Kaufman said the company that made the ladder for the truck has been out of business for seven or eight years and parts are not available.

“It’s not cost-efficient to repair this one. There are no parts for it. It would have to be custom made,” Kaufman said.

The pump on the truck passed an inspection, but a water pipe broke recently so the truck can’t pump water, he said.

Electronic controls that allow firefighters to direct a nozzle on the bucket at the top of the ladder from the ground don’t work either, he said.

Putting a firefighter in the bucket to operate the nozzle is out of the question for safety reasons, Kaufman said.

A new ladder truck maneuverable enough to navigate city streets costs between $850,000 and $1.2 million and would take 16 to 18 months to be delivered, he said.

The department sent city council a letter last year outlining the condition of the ladder truck, the aging rescue truck and one of the engine trucks, which will need to be replaced within five years, Kaufman said.

He said the bureau is aware of the city’s financial condition and is working with the new city administration to explore options.

“There’s a lot of options, but it’s hard to find that initial payment. We’re hoping the city will look at municipal financing options,” Kaufman said, adding that the police department also needs new vehicles.

At Wednesday’s fire, he said it took 12 to 15 minutes for Butler Township Fire District 3’s ladder truck to arrive. The Saxonburg VFD ladder truck arrived in about 20 minutes.

He said he doesn’t know if having a ladder truck in the city would have changed the result of the fire, but it would have enabled firefighters to reach the roof and upper floor apartments faster.

Only one of the two engine trucks was available to help fight the fire. The other one is out of service for electrical repairs, Kaufman said.

Firefighters are trying to maintain the trucks, he said.