CLAYTON, La. – Wanted:&160;One used fire truck in good condition.

That’s the message Clayton Mayor Wilbert Washington is sending out now that one of the town’s fire trucks has broken down, leaving it with only one to spare.

&uot;The motor just froze up in it,&uot;&160;said Fire Chief Rogers Hollins. That happened about one week ago, but it is not the first time the truck has broken down, fire officials said.

But this time Clayton is looking to replace, not fix, their truck, according to Washington. He went to a salvage sale in Alexandria last week and expects to travel to one in Baton Rouge this week in search of a good used fire truck for the town.

&uot;I don’t know exactly how much it would take to buy one used,&uot;&160;Washington said. &uot;But it would take more than we could fund locally, so we’ll need to get funding from somewhere else.&uot;

Some funding sources are available – but not many, said Oliver Schultz, a Monroe-based grant consultant for several local governments, including the Town of Clayton.

The town could apply for up to $15,000 in grant money from the Governor’s Office of Rural Development. &uot;Or they could get a loan for whatever amount from the USDA – but they would have to pay that back,&uot;&160;Schultz said.

The other alternative is to apply later this year for Community Development Block Grant money, but that money wouldn’t be available until April.

The town has not yet decided what funding course it will take, although Washington said petitioning the Governor’s Office of Rural Development for funding is certainly an option.