WEATHERSFIELD — The town is currently without a fire truck with a ladder after the Fire Department’s truck was damaged when it went off the road last Sunday.
For now, Weathersfield is relying on a mutual aid agreement with nearby towns, including Claremont; Springfield, Vt.; West Windsor and Windsor, which allows other towns’ ladder trucks to be used in the case of an emergency.
“First and foremost, I want to assure residents that there has been no impact to the town’s ability to respond to fire or rescue calls,” Town Manager Brandon Gulnick wrote in a statement to residents on Thursday.
Around 2:15 p.m. last Sunday, members of the Weathersfield and Claremont fire departments were driving south on Weathersfield Center Road for an event at the town’s Center Church when the ladder truck’s front right tire caught a soft shoulder on the road’s edge.
The driver, Andrew James Stevens, who is a member of the Weathersfield Fire Department, attempted to correct the vehicle’s course, but the shoulder couldn’t bear the truck’s weight. The truck left the roadway and came to rest in a wooded area where it remained until approximately 9:30 p.m. while a recovery operation was underway.
Stevens is estimated to have been driving at 30 mph, below the speed limit, when the truck went off the road. He was not cited by police for the incident.
The vehicle’s occupants were wearing seat belts, and no one was injured in the accident.
The truck, a 1998 Spartan Motors Chassis Ladder Firetruck, sustained cosmetic damage and is currently being held at S. G. Reed Truck Services in Newport while it awaits evaluation from an insurance adjuster.
It could be several weeks before the insurance company sends the town an evaluation, Gulnick said.
Weathersfield carries insurance with a $1,000 deductible, Gulnick wrote in his statement to residents.
“Once the Town receives the insurance determination, we will hold public meetings to discuss the next steps for repair or replacement,” he wrote.
Fire Chief Josh Compo said using a ladder truck, which is typically used to reach tall buildings, from nearby towns shouldn’t impede the department’s response time.
“We’re surrounded by several full-time departments that are able to get out relatively quickly,” he said.