Council boosts fire apparatus maintenance line by $20,000 after costly repairs

Hooksett Town Council on Nov. 5 approved a $20,000 increase to the fire department's FY2026'27 vehicle maintenance line, raising the proposed amount from $90,000 to $110,000.

Department leadership said two major repairs this fiscal year ' including hydraulic and waterway work on the ladder truck and brake and compressor work on Engine 5 ' totaled roughly $40,000 and left the department's current maintenance budget lean for the remainder of the year. The department provided a three-year average maintenance figure of about $129,000 and said the added funds would help extend apparatus life and preserve readiness.

Councilors asked for details about the repairs and procurement process; staff said the ladder-truck repair had been handled as an emergency procurement given the town's single ladder truck and the need to keep it serviceable. The council voted by roll call to increase the maintenance line; the motion passed.

Sources: fire-department presentation and roll-call vote Nov. 5; department summary of recent apparatus repairs.