Harlan Kirgan
The city of Eunice may get a fire truck, or two, from the city of New Orleans.
Eunice Mayor Scott Fontenot explained the possibility at a Kiwanis Club meeting Thursday.
Fontenot said he was reading that the city of New Orleans was buying 21 new ladder trucks and 500 police cars.
Fontenot said he ventured a call to New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landreiu to find out what the city planned to do with its used trucks.
Fontenot said Landrieu ended up on the phone with him and said he would have the city’s fire chief call him.
The fire chief could not offer a ladder truck, but said he could give the city a 2006 pumper truck.
“Which would be the newest in our fleet,” Fontenot said.
The New Orleans fire chief invited Fontenot, Eunice Fire Chief Mike Arnold and a mechanic to visit the city and look at the trucks.
Eunice’s oldest fire truck in service is a 1972 model ladder truck. The newest fire trucks owned by Eunice are two 2005 pumper trucks.
At Tuesday’s meeting of the Board of Aldermen, the mayor was authorized to buy a new pumper truck expected to cost about $400,000.
“I asked the chief about asking for two trucks instead of buying one,” he said.
“It could be a possibility,” Fontenot said.
The New Orleans fire chief said for about $10,000 ot $20,000 the trucks may restored to like-new condition, Fontenot said.
In addition, the city of New Orleans may have ladder trucks available next year, he said.
The Eunice Fire Department may also receive air packs from New Orleans, he said.