Efforts are under way in Butler to obtain a ladder truck to replace the city fire department’s existing truck, which has been out of service for more than a year.

Mayor Ben Smith is working on a deal to obtain a ladder truck and the fire department is planning to make a recommendation to include the purchase of a truck in next year’s budget.

Smith said the deal isn’t definite and declined to provide further details about the transaction being contemplated.

Fire Department Capt. Jim Kaufman said he didn’t know about the deal Smith was working on, but said the department is planning to make a recommendation to buy a truck and present it to council in the fall when budget preparations begin.

A committee of five firefighters has gone to at least one trade show to look at trucks and gather prices and other information, Kaufman said.

The Butler Fire Department’s ladder truck has been out of service since it was damaged while firefighters were battling a fire in March 2017.

A full story will appear in the Butler Eagle.