Fire officials in Manassas are asking the public to help them get a new fire truck.
The department recently filed a request to obtain $900,000 from the Department of Homeland Security for the purchase of a new ladder truck.
The truck would replace the city’s 16-year-old tower ladder truck, which was parked in a garage for more than 100 days last year because of mechanical problems, said Manassas fire and rescue spokesman Francis J. Teevan.
The ladder truck is the only one of its kind in the city, and the only truck that is consistently staffed by firefighters from Manassas, Manassas Park and Prince William County, added Teevan.
Hard budget times have meant more down time for the aging vehicle and, without the federal grant, it is unlikely that the city will be able to come up with the funds to replace the truck.
The current projected cost of a replacement truck tops $1 million, said Teevan.
But there is something residents can do to help get the grant money.
City officials are encouraging residents to write to the Grant Programs Administrator at DHS in Washington in hopes a public outcry will help their chances in getting the money.
The City of Manassas Fire and Rescue Department is a combination department, which uses both career staff and volunteers to respond to fires and medical emergencies in Manassas and can assist in Manassas Park and Prince William County.
Staff writer Uriah A. Kiser can be reached at 703-878-8065.
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