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Placer County approves $4.83 million purchase of fire engines and ladder truck
Summary
Supervisors approved purchase of two Type 1 engines and a demo Smeal ladder truck; county cited urgent need after extended repairs to older ladder units and secured a discounted, immediately deliverable demo ladder.
The Placer County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of two Type 1 fire engines and one Smeal ladder truck for a total not to exceed $4,833,886 on Oct. 14, funding the replacements primarily from the Fire Protection Fund reserves and the Placer County Fire Capital Facilities Fund.
Why it matters: County fire officials said both ladder trucks in the county had recently required substantial repairs that took them temporarily out of service. The county sought a demo-model Smeal ladder truck being offered with a full vehicle warranty at a discounted price and immediate availability; staff said the typical new ladder build time is three to four years.
How it will be used: One engine will replace apparatus at Station 70 (Wise Road, rural Lincoln), one will replace apparatus at Station 77 (Sunset station adjacent to Thunder Valley Casino Resort), and one engine will be added to service the new Bickford Ranch Fire Station once it opens. Replacing the ladder truck staged near the casino allows the county to maintain a ladder in the North Auburn area by placing the existing truck into reserve.
Funding and vote: The county approved a FY2025-26 budget amendment of $4,833,886 (offset by $1,443,354 from the Placer County Fire Capital Facilities Fund and cancellation of $3,390,532 of fire protection fund reserves). The board voted unanimously to award the purchase order to Fire Apparatus Solutions (Kalmakov Enterprises Inc.).
County comments: Procurement staff worked quickly to secure the demo ladder before other agencies could purchase it, county staff told supervisors.
Next steps: Purchasing manager was authorized to sign all required documents and the vehicles will be added to the FY2025-26 capital asset list. The fire department will manage deployment and rotation of replaced apparatus and reserves.
