CRANBERRY TWP — The Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company will upgrade one of its oldest fire engines – two years from now.

At a Thursday meeting, the township’s board of supervisors approved the purchase of a 2024 Pierce Engine through the COSTARS contract program for $750,742. The engine will replace the department's existing 1989 FMC engine, Engine 21-3, in 2024.

Township manager Dan Santoro said the department’s fire apparatus plan calls for the 1989 engine’s replacement in 2024.

“That vehicle has been around for quite some time, and it is time to replace that engine,” he said. “In talking with Chief (Scott) Garing and the fire company, and working, they know that based on what’s going on in the world, firetruck orders are essentially 24 months out, or two years out.”

The advance nature of the order is intended to make sure the vehicle is ready in two years when the plan says the old engine’s time is up.

“It’s going to take us that long to get it, but we need to place the order so they can begin to construct it,” Santoro said.

“The price tag on these are never cheap,” said Mike Manipole, township supervisor. “But you can’t put a price tag on that safety, and also the research that the fire department does on building these. I think it’s very admirable. You look at all of the different specs, and you build the perfect truck for what we need, and you do it in a cost-effective manner. It’s very much appreciated.”

The 1989 engine will be donated to Butler County Community College’s Fire Training Academy for training purposes.

“That engine is probably older than most of our members,” said township supervisor Bruce Hezlep.

Fire company vice president Steve Dancisin said the company typically replaces firetrucks once they get to 15 to 20 years old. The new truck will be similar to the other two newer trucks at the station, he said.

“It’s going to be a triplet to the two other ones that we took delivery of in 2019,” he said. “It’s basically the same design and just a few minor changes that we discovered after we got the trucks to make it more functional.”