Belmont’s fire engine makes its way along Main Street in Barnesville as part of an escort for a special memorial that was on display through the Pumpkin Festival. The truck is being replaced.

BELMONT — Belmont Village Council authorized the purchase of a new fire engine and the issuance of bonds to make the purchase while remaining hopeful that grant money will eventually be available to help.

Council President Mike Murphy, along with council members Lorie Grob, Bev Yoe and Derek Cain voted in late October on approval of two separate motions during a special meeting that was called so that the $539,000 price could be locked in and the process of financing the purchase could begin.

Councilmen John Rigoli and Zach Kalo were at the meeting to discuss the purchase but did not participate in the vote due to being members of the fire department.

During a council meeting held Oct. 7, fire Lt. Kaye Hall and Assistant Fire Chief Jake Tacosik discussed with council the fact that the department’s 1991 engine was 10 years past its recommended service duration, according to National Fire Protection Association standards, with Tacosik saying they had already looked at a demo truck.

Hall informed council at that meeting that they had just learned they had been rejected for a grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to replace it.

Mayor Ron Woods explained that they would be putting down a $100,000 down payment and financing the rest while Fiscal Officer Ricky Burkhead said he had been offered 2.25% financing through WesBanco, but had other banks he wanted to check with before finalizing that part of the deal.

The possibility of securing a grant was still a viable option, according to those present, but the current plan of action is to move ahead with financing the purchase and use money received via the fire contract with Goshen Township to make the bi-annual payments.

Burkhead explained that this would enable them to pay the truck off in five years and therefore minimize the amount paid in interest.

Ben Heslep, regional account manager of Atlantic Emergency Solutions, was on hand and said the truck they were purchasing was in the process of being built and should be coming off the assembly line in December.

Heslep went on to say that the truck had been selected for service at the Daytona 500 in February and that after that it would get a final inspection before being delivered to Belmont in March.