Council approves $17,500 extraction tool purchase for Richmond Volunteer Fire Department

The Richmond City Council voted to waive formal purchasing ordinance requirements and approved the purchase of a Hearst M40 E3 extraction spreader for the Richmond Volunteer Fire Department at a cost of $17,500 from authorized dealer McQueen. Fire Lieutenant Joel (last name not specified in transcript) told council he had used the tool in training and described it as a faster, more flexible and rugged option that matches the department’s existing Hearst equipment and batteries. “The benefits of having this tool will benefit us extremely to get people out of these situations as fast as we can,” he said. City staff said the fiscal year 2025‑26 fire budget includes $13,500 for extraction equipment and the line item has a total of $31,000 available. Councilor Maydan made the motion to waive the ordinance and approve the purchase; the motion passed in a roll‑call vote with councilors voting in favor (recorded as yes for Ravitch, Lafore, Schultz, Ricks, Yellinich, Warren and Allen). No councilor recorded a vote against or abstention. City staff said buying the same vendor’s product keeps battery and accessory compatibility so the department can reallocate batteries and accessories across vehicles and expand the number of trucks carrying compatible tools.