Oak Island fire chief says two ladder trucks failing; urges council to fund replacement and station renovation

Fire Chief Lee Price told the council the department is operating with aging apparatus and that recent breakdowns left the town without a fully reliable ladder truck for weeks. He said one truck—built in 2009—has frame corrosion and extensive suspension and structure issues and should be written off rather than repaired.

"We've spent the past three weeks without a ladder truck," Price said. He described diagnostics that identified sheared frame bolts and cracked crossmembers, and he said a major repair would be expensive and uncertain given the vehicle’s age.

Price said the department had placed an order last year for a new ladder truck and already made a down payment; that unit is scheduled for later delivery under the original ordering schedule. Given the current failures, Price told council staff had identified a stock new‑truck option that could arrive faster (within months) if the town acts to secure it.

Beyond apparatus, Price reiterated his multi‑year request to renovate Station One: an addition and remodel would allow safer sleeping quarters, better bay configuration and space for operations, training and public‑works co‑location. He said the existing station has life‑safety shortcomings and limited usable living space and that incremental repairs would not fully resolve code and habitability issues.

To fund the needs, staff and chiefs discussed increasing the dedicated fire tax. Price and administration modeled scenarios: a one‑cent rate (roughly $660,000 annually based on current valuations) would cover a substantial portion of the truck and station financing; full self‑sufficiency for all requested firefighter positions and capital could require a larger rate (roughly two cents in staff estimates). Leaders also noted the town had budgeted earlier to use fund balance for one‑time needs—there remains capacity in fund balance to assist short‑term purchases—but cautioned against relying on reserves for recurring salaries.

Council members asked for refined financing scenarios and reaffirmed the desire to maintain a high level of service while balancing tax impacts. Staff agreed to return with updated debt service schedules, the net cost after the town’s previously paid down payment, and options for multi‑year compensation planning for public‑safety pay adjustments.