Hollywood Park has placed an order and a down payment for a $1.6 million ladder truck for the fire department.

Wisconsin-based Pierce Manufacturing, which specializes in building fire trucks, is building a 44-foot-long truck with a 100-foot ladder.

City officials said they expect to receive the new vehicle by the end of 2022 to replace the fire department’s 20-year-old truck that has a 75-foot ladder.

Local leaders are now planning to expand the fire station bay by at least 10 feet to accommodate the new ladder truck.

“I think if we all put our heads together, we can get some contractors here, and I would hope that within 18 months we can have something built,” Fire Chief John Butrico said in a September budget workshop.

Briefing City Council on Nov. 16, Butrico said the truck is being designed and engineered. He added a down payment of $592,190 has been placed with Pierce.

Money from a fund designed to support fire department’s capital projects is being used to partially pay for the new fire truck.

The city is working with Government Capital Corp., a Southlake, Texas, company, to finance the rest of the build at an interest rate of 1.94% over five years.

It was at the September budget workshop at which council members approved going forward with ordering a new fire ladder truck.

Council members, city staff and residents said the fire department has sought a replacement ladder truck to help address specific fires in Hollywood Park and surrounding communities served by the fire department.

Hollywood Park Fire Department protects neighboring Hill Country Village, and has interlocal agreements to help cover other area cities and unincorporated Bexar County if necessary.

City Treasurer Fred Timmons said if the city were to wait until fall 2022 to order the fire truck, it would be at an increased cost of $45,000.

Timmons said it has become more costly to maintain the current ladder truck, adding that many of the parts are no longer being manufactured or readily available.

“I think we all value our fire department, and we need to keep our equipment up,” Council Member Debbie Trueman said.

“This town has set money aside for the last few years,” Mayor Oscar Villarreal said. “We’ve built up a little savings for that, so we’ll be able to put down a good chunk of money for it."

Resident Tonya Cummings told council members they were making the right decision to go forward with buying a new fire truck.

“We all may need that fire truck someday,” she said.