Fire chief outlines ambulance financing and a $400,000 brush-truck grant that needs $20,000 town match

Fire Chief Dave Gifford updated the Lisbon Board of Finance on the fire department’s equipment and funding plans at the July 15 meeting.

Gifford said the department bought a 2026 GMC 3500 pickup to replace an older vehicle and is in the process of financing a gently used ambulance for $180,000. He said the department is pursuing multiple grants for smaller purchases and is seeking a $400,000 grant to buy a brush truck to replace a 1969 unit. The proposed brush-truck grant would require a $20,000 match from the town.

Gifford also said mutual-aid requests have increased and town officials are having discussions about regionalizing emergency service providers. No formal vote or appropriation for the brush truck was taken at the meeting; the chief presented the funding request as an item under Old Business, and members were briefed on the potential town match and financing plans.

The board did not specify a timeline for grant decisions or whether the town match would come from contingency funds, capital reserve, or be requested in a future budget; those implementation details were not specified in the meeting record. The board noted the financing of the ambulance and the proposed brush-truck grant would affect departmental capital planning going forward.

The board is scheduled to follow up on capital and budget details in future meetings as grant status and financing terms are clarified.