The towns of Pleasant View and Coopertown may soon be joining forces in order to obtain a 100-foot ladder truck that will be used to service both municipalities and support rapid area growth.
During the January 4, 2018 Pleasant View City Council workshop, Coopertown Mayor Glen Guyor joined Pleasant View officials in both discussion and planning for the potential purchase of a ladder truck that will allow the Pleasant View Volunteer Fire Department (PVVFD) to better serve their designated region.
The truck, according to PVVFD Chief P.J. Duncan, would cost approximately $900,000 for a basic demo model. The truck, he says, would have the lifespan of 15-19 years in the area’s rural setting, and could possibly be financed over a 10-year period. This scenario would cost around $108,000 per year.
Through a partnership of the neighboring municipalities, the purchase will ideally be funded by a combination of city funds from both Pleasant View and Coopertown, grant monies, and quite possibly even financial assistance at the county level.
“Mayor Guyor and I have been discussing an opportunity for both of our cities to work together for fire service. This is a great start to that relationship,” Pleasant View Mayor Perry Keenan said.
As interest in the area grows, and the interstate exits expand, the need for having a ladder truck becomes apparent, officials agree.
With a four-story hotel now “clearing the hurdles” to make its way into Pleasant View, the issue of fire safety becomes a “real concern” says Duncan. The longtime fire chief stated that the department has applied for a related grant for the past 11 years but never received the funding.
“The need for a ladder truck is presenting itself more and more,” he says, more hopeful than in years past.
“We have to be able to reach all floors of the hotel in the event of a fire,” he adds.
In addition to the hotel concerns, as Mayor Guyor pointed out, the new Lowes building is 1.2 million square feet, 55 feet high, and will eventually employee up to 600 people.
“These are all true concerns,” says Duncan, in full support of the proactive thinking of local officials.
The truck, if eventually obtained, would potentially be housed in the new facility planned for Main Street in Pleasant View.
Building Commissioner Mark Goins believes that the purchase of the ladder truck would also have the potential to “lure in” multi-story office buildings, making it more “attractive” for those considering the area to build such complexes.
The first-of-its-kind interlocal agreement will move forward as the city attorneys are scheduled to meet with Chief Duncan to pull together ideas and resources needed to spark the process of obtaining the much-needed apparatus.
The subject will be revisited during Pleasant View’s February’s budget meeting.