Government

Seaside Park’s Retired Fire Truck is Headed to North Jersey Department

by
Daniel Nee
February 23, 2024

Seaside Park’s 1993 Pierce Lance 1500/500 pumper (fire) truck, currently up for auction. (Photo: Seaside Park Borough)

After years of serving “down the Shore,” Seaside Park’s retired fire truck will have a second – but short – life extension in North Jersey.

Following an online auction that did not result in any bids being offered, the borough decided to lower the minimum bid and place the 1993 Pierce Lance 1500/500 pumper model back online for a second try. The second auction was set to begin in January, but was held back because a private buyer emerged just before the auction was about to go live. The interest in the truck came from the City of Elizabeth, Union County, which was in dire need of a new truck as they await a backlog to replace one of their own pumpers.

The truck does not meet current federal standards, however the recent post-pandemic supply chain crisis has led to the temporary easing of some regulations that would permit the truck to continue to be operated on a temporary basis.

“I understand that because of the backlog and supply issues, it can be done,” said Mayor John Peterson.

Elizabeth offered $10,000 for the truck, which was set to be the minimum bid in the second auction. New Jersey law allows a municipality to sell an item to a buyer directly if it had already conducted a bidding process or auction and did not receive any bids, Borough Attorney Steven Zabarsky confirmed, as long as it is sold for fair market value.

“The statute defines fair value as the market value of the property between a willing seller and a willing buyer – it’s that simple,” he said, to a few chuckles from the audience at a recent borough council meeting.

Seaside Park Fire Chief Dennis Vincent said Elizabeth was seeking to use the truck for two years as they wait for their own new pumper to be built. Seaside Park last year took delivery of a new fire truck after a multi-year process of authorizing funds and waiting for it to be constructed and certified. Vincent said he met with representatives from the city’s fire department, including a mechanic, who went over the truck.

“They said they would purchase it as-is at the $10,000 mark,” said Vincent.

Seaside Park’s 1993 Pierce Lance 1500/500 pumper (fire) truck, currently up for auction. (Photo: Seaside Park Borough)

The need to sell the truck has become more urgent in recent weeks, as there is no space for it to be stored in either the fire company or public works garages in town.

“That has caused some depreciation of the pumper, especially in the last cold front that caused some leaks and damage,” said Peterson.

The borough council authorized the sale to Elizabeth at its Feb. 15 meeting.

“They were looking at a truck online that was one year older and had more miles on it,” said Vincent.

Seaside Park’s 1993 Pierce Lance 1500/500 pumper (fire) truck, currently up for auction. (Photo: Seaside Park Borough)

The pumper truck previously served with Toms River Fire Company No. 1 before having been acquired by Seaside Park following Superstorm Sandy. Over the last decade, a number of upgrades were made to the truck. A pump transfer valve was replaced last year, and its emergency lighting has been partially upgraded to LEDs. It is powered by its original Detroit Diesel V6 engine and Allison transmission, was serviced regularly and its 1,500 gallon-per-minute pumping system was last tested in 2022.