MA Firefighters Don't Want Expensive Firetruck; Sparks Contr

[WAS967 97]

FIRE TRUCK'S RETURN IN LIMBO

Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company

The Boston Globe  May 13, 2004, Thursday  ,THIRD EDITION 

Natick's newest fire truck, which has been on the sidelines since mid-February following an accident, is stirring more controversy because firefighters say they don't want it back.

A meeting last week among members of the firefighters union and Natick's town administrator, Philip E. Lemnios, was to resolve firefighters' safety concerns about the $650,000 vehicle, but neither side will provide details of the discussion.

The union gave town officials a letter April 27 stating that the truck was dangerous to operate. The letter cited problems that several communities, including Framingham, have with the mechanical reliability of the computer-controlled rear axle.

In February, Natick's 35-ton "quint" truck, a combination pumper-ladder, wrapped itself around a telephone pole on Summer Street when its rear wheels unexpectedly turned sideways. The feature is meant to allow the truck to move nimbly when responding to a fire, but firefighters are concerned that the computer that controls the rear wheels has malfunctioned more than once and presents a danger.

In the April letter, the union told the town that the February accident was Natick's third mishap, and that communities such as Duxbury, Framingham, and Fitchburg have had similar experiences with their quints.

Lemnios said the manufacturer probably will test the truck at an independent facility and is providing Natick a loaner truck in the interim. The town has not spent any money repairing it, Lemnios said.

Previous testing was inconclusive as to whether the February accident was human error or mechanical, or a malfunction of a computer on the truck, Lemnios said.

Firefighters union members, including president Danny Hartwell, are compiling information about the quints' previous accidents and potential malfunctions to present at their next meeting with Lemnios.

Purchasing the quint was one of the last tasks of former fire chief Richard Fredette before his retirement. Fredette had lobbied selectmen and Town Meeting members on Natick's need for the truck, which is capable of quickly delivering a deluge of water to rooftops through its pre-piped aerial ladder. Fire Department officials say it has rarely, if ever, been used to full capacity.

The truck is expected to be one component of the department reviewed by a new town committee. Headed by selectmen Charlie Hughes and Jay Ball, the group will hire a consultant to evaluate Natick's response times, equipment, and station staffing.