BY DARRELL HALEN

After taking one of their pumper trucks out of service, Pelham firefighters found a new owner for the vehicle – by putting it up for auction on eBay.

Engine 3, a 22-year-old fire truck, fetched $4,201 from a family of volunteer firefighters in Monterrey, Mexico.

It is the second time the Pelham Fire Department has used the online marketplace to sell a vehicle.

When the department didn’t have luck selling off a fire truck several years ago, Lt. Ray Cashman came up with the idea to make it available through eBay.

“OK, that didn’t work, let’s try this,” he recalled saying.

Engine 3 runs fine but its tank leaks and its pump must be rebuilt, Cashman said.

When trading it in didn’t work out, Cashman put it up for bid on May 8. After a week, the family from Monterrey had the highest bid out of seven offers made.

Antonio Ruiz, who works with his parents in Monterrey, recently came to Pelham to complete the sale. The truck will be shipped to Mexico.

While in Pelham, Ruiz traded T-shirts with the Pelham firefighters. His family plans to attend the Pelham Firefighters’ Ball in January.

“We hope to continue the relationship,” Cashman said.

Last March, voters approved spending $345,000 to obtain a new fire pumper truck. The new truck is on order.