South Strabane Fire Chief Defends $1.3M Truck Purchase

Prior to the November election, several residents in South Strabane Township had been critical of the 2022 purchase of a $1.3 million ladder truck for the South Strabane Fire Department. Residents were subjected to a .75 mill fire tax in 2023, to help fund the purchase of the truck. South Strabane Township Fire Chief Jordan Cramer says that a portion of the financing comes from a 2% loan from the Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner The ladder truck is equipped with a 107 foot aerial that is 37 feet more than the current ladder truck, according to Cramer. He says that the extra height would equate to an additional 3-4 stories of rescue capability. Cramer indicates that South Strabane Township has quite a few multi-level residential buildings such as apartments and senior living residences, its commercial district is large and diverse in size also. Cramer pointed out that height is not the only consideration for the 107 foot aerial capability. He states that many houses in the township are set back 50 feet or more from the roadway. That 107 foot length is useful in a transverse crossing of yards to fight fires. Questions of need arose because of mutual aid agreements with neighboring fire companies. Cramer says that no mutual aid agreement exists to provide South Strabane a ladder truck. He says that more often, South Strabane provides neighbors its ladder truck and they receive fire engine support when needed. Cramer states that it is only a matter of time for when the next fire occurs when a large ladder truck is needed. He points to the Thomas Campbell Apartment fire that claimed the life of a resident on December 23, 2022.