The adage “money well spent” could easily be applied to something that protects human lives. Upper Township Fire Department used money generated from a fire levy to do just that.

“We bought a demo truck in 2003,” J.D. Pancake, Upper Township fire chief, said. “We paid $150,000 for it and we finally paid it off.”

It was the first new truck the department had purchased in 30 years.

“The truck we bought in 1973 sits in the bay right next to the one we bought in 2003,” he said. “The taxpayers need to know the truck is paid off.”

Upper Township Fire Department receives $56,000 a year from a tax levy, and $1,200 a month, or $14,400 a year, went towards the truck payment.

Now that the truck is free and clear, Pancake says the money from the levy will now be used for new gear.

“We were using FEMA money for our turnout gear,” he said. “But that money isn’t coming in like it used to.”

Pancake says the department will try and save money to purchase another truck in the future, but chances are it will not a new, since new ones cost nearly $300,000.