OXFORD – A special meeting in the Village of Oxford yielded a decision by village officials to approve the acceptance of a bid proposed to acquire a replacement aerial apparatus to add to the Villages Fire Department arsenal.

A source of discussion for more than two years amongst the Oxford community came to an end as Oxford trustees unanimously voted in favor of accepting a bid of $388,000 for the purchase of a used 2001 KME Aerialcat outfitted with 95-foot ladder, Hale 2,000 gallon-per-minute side mount pump and seating for six.

Even as a bid on a similar unit in nearby Syracuse was on the negotiation table, OFD Chief Hans Franklin disclosed to Village trustees that internal discussions at the fire department leaned heavily in favor of the KME ladder, sourced from Brindlee Mountain Fire Apparatus, LLC based out of Union Grove, Al.

The decision was based on facts pertaining to additional costs for equipment upgrades that would have to be made to the Syracuse unit to make the purchase viable for the department’s needs.

“The KME unit is in great shape with just over 10,000 miles on it,” said Franklin. “All service records are current, and indicate that all work that has ever been done to it has been performed by the factory that originally built it.”

While $388,000 is nothing to sneeze at, the price tag comes as a welcomed sight to the Oxford tax base that was hit with estimates ranging from $1.1 million to $850,000 from the OFD leaders less than two years ago when it was first learned that the former Oshkosh aerial would have to be replaced.

“I respect what you have done were with respect to the taxpayers,” said Trustee Joe Spence. “You set out looking for a ladder that both fit the needs of the fire department and met the needs of taxpayers by locating a used unit as a significant savings.”