SOMERS — A Town Board decision to turn down the fire chief’s request for two, 35-foot ground ladders has now climbed into the political arena — namely, in the race for chairman.

Earlier this month, the board voted 5-0 to deny Chief Steven Krause’s request for the ladders that, with corresponding racks to hold them to the trucks, would cost about $1,200 apiece.

That proposal was an alternative Krause formulated after the board balked at buying two ladders of the same height that would’ve been installed directly onto the trucks and raised to the needed height. The earlier option would’ve exceeded the town’s public safety budget by close to $11,000.

Krause said the department needs the ladders to reach some of the tallest structures in the town, including the new Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club under construction. The fire department currently has 24-foot and 30-foot extension ladders, neither of which are tall enough to fight fires on the new buildings.

After the board’s denial, Krause sent a letter to firefighters which said if a situation requires ladders over 25 feet, the department “will go into defensive mode, call for the equipment we need from our mutual-aid partners and wait for that equipment to arrive before attacking the problem at hand.”

Incumbent Town Chairman Jim Smith said he believes the request was meant to tie the board’s hands in an attempt to secure for the department a new aerial ladder truck. Such a vehicle could cost the town close to $1 million, Smith said.

“He’s holding the board hostage,” Smith said. “And as far as I’m concerned that letter made him insubordinate.”

Smith said the chief’s proposals were designed to “set the board up,” beginning with the request to exceed the public safety budget.

Smith implicated Supervisor Fred Loomis, who is also on the fire department and is running against him for the chairmanship, as the point man on the board for the chief, whose intentions have always been to acquire the aerial truck.

Not true, said Loomis, who voted unanimously with the board to deny the chief’s request at the March 10 Town Board meeting. Loomis said he based his vote on safety issues. Loomis also said he would not have supported retrofitting the trucks with the ladders, either.

Loomis said the chief’s letter to firefighters was not insubordination.

“I think what he’s doing is that he’s making everybody aware. To me, it’s all common sense,” Loomis said. “Would you rather put them in a situation where they would be put unnecessarily at risk?”

Loomis said there was nothing to suggest that the chief was pushing for the aerial truck.

“The way I see it, when you’re referring to the ladder truck, it’s up until the time we can afford to purchase the truck. Until then we will rely on mutual aid. Nobody is trying to strong-arm the board into purchasing anything.”

Smith said he has suggested to the fire department to ask town residents, for example, in the form of an advisory referendum, whether they want to spend the money for the truck.

“Ask them if they want to spend $1 million of taxpayers’ money. And if you want that, get the public’s opinion in the positive. Get people in the community that feel they want this,” Smith said. “But (the fire department) feels it’s not their responsibility.”

Krause said his responsibility is ultimately to ensure the safety of his firefighters and the safety of the people they are protecting.

“I tried to get ladders that would at least allow me the opportunity to get from the ground to the top of some the taller buildings in the town,” Krause said. “That apparently didn’t work and now this is the alternative.”