ALT NBC 5 Local fire departments, public works grapple with rising diesel costs Diesel prices are at an all-time high. The price at the pump to fill up is being felt everywhere, including at the Hinesburg Fire Department. Chief Prescott Nadeau says they've seen a 63 percent increase in diesel costs over the last two years. "The shock factor is there," the chief said. For towns preparing for winter, the cost of plowing the roads is front of mind. In Plattsburgh, rising fuel and salt prices are a one-two punch this year. "We're at like a 43% increase from last year with salt prices, and then, with the increased cost of diesel, we want to tighten the budget up a little bit. We had to move some things around to make it work," said the highway superintendent for the town, Greg Brunell. "Obviously, we can't really change much of our level of service that the taxpayers expect from us on the roads."