The West Penn Township fire department has secured a loan for its newest piece of apparatus.

Cheryl Leone, treasurer of the fire company, said the 10-year loan in the amount of $350,000 is through Community Leasing Partners.

Earlier this month, the absence of last year’s financial statement from the fire department came into question at a township board of supervisors meeting.

Initially, the fire company planned to take out a 10-year loan through Mauch Chunk Trust Company, but were told the lack of the fire company’s 2016 audit was holding up that loan.

Leone attempted to clear up the situation.

“There were no issues with Mauch Chunk; they could not fit into our turnaround time,” Leone said. “We need a quick turnaround because we already have the truck.”

Leone added, “We knew we were OK, it was just getting to that point.”

Regardless, Leone said she “just wanted to set the record straight.”

“There were no issues with getting an approved loan; it was just a time frame issue,” she said. “We needed a much quicker turnaround time.”

The fire department recently took delivery of its 2018 KME Predator Panther Custom Engine.

It will use funding from the township, as well as hold fundraisers, to pay back the loan for the $400,000 truck.

Leone said the fire company has put $50,000 down for the truck.

This year, West Penn received $13,958 from the state’s General Municipal Pension System State Aid Program.

The program helps local governments defray the cost of employee, police and firefighter pension plans maintained by municipalities, regional police forces and councils of government.

In addition, funds are allocated through the department and local municipalities to nearly 2,000 volunteer firefighter relief associations to enable the purchase of training, equipment and insurance, and pay for death benefits for volunteer firefighters.

Revenue for the state aid comes from a 2 percent tax on premiums paid for casualty and fire insurance sold in Pennsylvania by out-of-state insurance companies.

A routine audit conducted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General showed the department to be in compliance for the period Jan. 1, 2014, to Dec. 31, 2016.