LUDLOW, Vt. – At its recent weekly meeting, the Ludlow Rotary Club (LRC) heard from Ludlow Fire Chief Ben Whalen concerning the Ludlow Fire Department’s need for new equipment. Whalen discussed the normal life of the various types of equipment needed by Ludlow to deal with fires and property protection. Currently, the department needs to replace aged and sometimes nonoperative equipment used to fight fires. He presented a slide show that highlighted the new equipment needed, as well as the cost and delivery time of it.
A key point in his discussion was the length of time between ordering new equipment and its actual delivery, normally a two- to three-year period.
The Ludlow Fire Department will be requesting Ludlow voters to approve the purchase of several important pieces of equipment. Whalen explained the cost of the replacement devices. He estimated that the MSRP for the new gear will be $4,097,039. He indicated that, through discounting, sale of current equipment, and financing arrangements, this price could be reduced to $3,079,550, a savings of $1,017,489.