While there's a new fire truck in Jupiter, FL, residents won't be seeing it responding to calls anytime soon.
That's because the fire department doesn't exist and won't for about three years.
"My biggest concern was that the purchasing of this vehicle and procuring it so quickly is that the fire department doesn’t start until Oct. 1, 2026. So this truck will now require maintenance for the next three years. You can’t just let the truck sit. It needs to be driven. It needs to be pump-operated, needs to be flushed periodically. So it's going to require maintenance for the next three years. I don’t think we needed to go and get this truck immediately just because it was available at the dealer," said Council Member Cameron May, also a Palm Beach County firefighter.
Jupiter’s budget for apparatus was prepared by a consultant company which also recommended what vehicles to buy, according to WPBF.
The plan is to buy five firetrucks ranging in price from over $985,000 to more than $1.614 million.
The new engine is a plain Jane. It was not designed with specifications selected by firefighters which is the norm.
May also saays this fire doesn't have a front mounted pump like the ones Palm Beach County Fire Rescue firefighters use.
