ROCKLAND – The heat is on Rockland to replace its broken-down ladder truck.

A growing number of fires in recent months have heightened the urgency to replace the 1983 Maxim ladder, which has been out of commission since September.

A week ago, Grapes Restaurant, formerly the Black Pearl, was destroyed by a fire. The state Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the arson with an eye toward possible links to several other fires this year for which causes remain undetermined.

“We’re on borrowed time,” City Manager Tom Hall said Wednesday when talking about the replacement options under consideration for the ladder truck.

In the Grapes fire, Thomaston’s ladder responded 11 minutes slower than if Rockland’s ladder had been working, Fire Chief Charles Jordan Jr. said.

“That’s a good response time,” Hall said, for a volunteer crew with its station five miles away. Yet, Thomaston’s ladder really is not designed for Rockland’s needs, they said.

Hall and Jordan said there are many good reasons the city needs its own, new ladder truck.

This fall, city councilors rejected placing a bond referendum on the November ballot to buy a new truck. At a recent meeting, councilors revisited replacement options.

Hall hopes the council will seek voter approval in June for borrowing up to $750,000 for a new ladder truck.

“We’re not looking to spend more money than we have to,” Jordan said. “This isn’t chrome. This isn’t an air-conditioned showpiece. We’re not looking to add bells and whistles. This is a work truck.”

The Rockland Fire Department Welfare Fund Inc. is putting its money where its mouth is, Jordan said, by pledging $30,000 toward the purchase of a new ladder truck.

“We wanted everyone to know how serious we are,” he said.

The existing vehicle is essentially beyond repair, they said. The vehicle failed two inspections this year.

Some of the alternatives to buying brand-new are purchasing a used truck, using some type of regional approach, or raising funds to pay for a vehicle.

Hall says the best, most practical choice is to buy new.

“The need is clear and the answer is clear,” Hall said.

In the fall, Councilor Adele Grossman Faber’s election campaign called for a friends of the firetruck group to raise money to replace the ladder truck.

The idea “met with some interest,” Hall said.

The officials said that obstacles to fund raising include people’s tendency not to donate to government; questions about who will organize the effort; and potential conflicts of interest in seeking donations. People have come to expect fire protection services through taxation, Hall said. Another snag is the time element in raising funds.

Fund raising may make sense for the replacement of the city’s Engine 3 and Squad 1 vehicles, Hall said, which is slated for 2008. One new vehicle costing an estimated $400,000 will replace both vehicles.

Fixing the existing ladder truck is not a viable option, Jordan said, and is “throwing good money after bad.”

Buying used is an alternative that has been explored, but is not recommended.

The cost for a used ladder in New Jersey was roughly $250,000, including the costs for necessary improvements

One problem Jordan pointed to is that used vehicles do not come with warranties.

A used truck might last 10 years, he said, or it might last five years. A new vehicle has a 30-year life expectancy, he noted.

“Most [used] trucks have lived a hard life,” Hall added.

The possibilities of a regional approach will be discussed at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, among elected Rockland and Thomaston officials in council chambers.

Thomaston is “the only practical town” to consider sharing fire resources with because of its proximity to Rockland, Hall said.

History has shown that Knox County should have three aerials in service, they said, mentioning several major fires. And, as a matter of supporting its mutual aid pact, the city should have its own apparatus.

“Regionalization is the key,” Hall said, but “Rockland can’t do without a [ladder] truck in its barn.

“We’ve got all the makings of a large city, but on a smaller scale,” he said.

Rockland has multistory brick and wood businesses in a dense downtown district, industrial, commercial and residential properties along the waterfront, an industrial park, strip malls, big-box retailers, large new and old apartment complexes and residential housing, Jordan said. “We need a ladder truck for that.”