Bertrand Township is about to get a new fire truck.

On Thursday, the township board of trustees unanimously approved the purchase of the vehicle from Spencer Manufacturing, of South Haven, for approximately $489,000.

Supervisor Steve Hicks said the township is paying up front for the truck in order to take advantage of an over 3 percent discount on the purchase price.

The township is funding the purchase with $275,000 from the fire department savings fund and the rest from the township’s general fund.

A representative of Spencer Manufacturing told the board that it would take about 10 months to build and deliver the truck. The company submitted the least expensive of the three bids the township received.

Hicks said trustees Stephen LeClaire and David Zelmer were absent from Thursday’s special meeting.

The new fire truck will replace one that is 28 years old and long past the National Fire Protection Agency’s recommended replacement date of every 20 years.

Prior to the purchase, the township had $1.3 million in its reserve fund.

The fire department had $330,000 in savings.