EXPLORE MORE:

Frelinghuysen Has Fire Truck for Sale

July 2, 2024

Frelinghuysen Fire Truck — Frelinghuysen will be offering a surplus fire truck for sale. Photo by Joe Phalon.

Need a fire engine? Frelinghuysen Township might have one for you.

The township committee authorized the sale of what has become known as the “Harrison Truck,” which was donated to the Frelinghuysen Volunteer Fire Company last year.

At the June 19 committee meeting, Mayor Keith Ramos said the truck is now considered property the township no longer needs.

The fire department, which was formed just two years ago, was certified to become active earlier this year. The department has largely been jump-started with donated surplus trucks and equipment.

While a price has not been set for the vehicle, it can be listed as available and bids can be taken on it, Ramos said.

He added that if the committee is not satisfied with any bids, they can be rejected.

Township attorney Richard Belien conformed this.

“You have the right to reject,” Belien said.

Two years in the making, the department got its accreditation and was deemed ready to be called into service at 12:01 a.m. on March 1, 2024. It’s the first fire department in New Jersey to be built from the ground up, according to the New Jersey Division of Fire Safety.

The fire company has received a $34,000 grant from the American Rescue Plan Firefighter Grant Program.

The award is part of $20 million in grants given to 353 fire departments across the state, including 11 in Warren County. The program was announced by Gov. Phil Murphy in early March.

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

Joe brings decades of journalism experience to the Ridge View Echo, covering everything from local school boards to the U.S. Supreme Court. A former National Law Journal editor and Columbia Law School press officer, he now enjoys telling community stories in Blairstown, where he lives with his wife, Rose, and their two dachshunds.