Jamestown — The fire chief told the City Council that procuring a new ladder truck is a long lead-time project and that the department is phasing equipment replacement while monitoring EMS revenue.

The fire chief said the timeline to spec and take delivery of a new ladder truck is lengthy: “the last conversation I had was 36 to 39 months for a bill for at least time to get 1. Yes. It does… Roughly 3 years after that, so we're 4 years out.” He urged the council to consider that calendar when weighing capital requests.

On equipment, the chief said the department reduced air-bottle inventory during an earlier equipment changeover and is requesting additional SCBA bottles in the capital plan to return stocks toward prior levels: staff reported inventory fell from about 90 bottles to 64 during a previous replacement and the department requested six more bottles in the current draft (originally requested 12, cut to 6).

EMS revenue projections were also discussed. Staff cited a run rate and provided a 2026 revenue estimate for ambulance transports: as of mid-October staff reported year-to-date revenue of $272,708 and a projected end-of-year run rate near $337,000; the 2026 revenue line presented is $337,615.

The chief noted other capital items under consideration, including replacement of a maintenance truck used for snow removal and training grounds; that vehicle is older and may require significant engine work in the coming year.

No capital appropriation was approved during the session; the chief and council discussed timing, federal grant cycles for apparatus (AFG/SAFER), and the uncertainty of grant priorities year to year.

End: staff said they will monitor grant windows and provide updated capital-cost estimates to the council.