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Booneville council approves budget to secure used pumper after fire chief cites response limits
Summary
Chief Cooper urged purchase of a 2014 pumper to improve response capability; council voted to proceed with a purchase agreement and to formalize the appropriation by resolution at the next meeting.
Booneville’s fire chief told the City Council on June 16 that the department’s frontline engine, a 1992 model, no longer meets modern standards and limits the city’s ability to respond when crews are on concurrent calls. Chief Cooper asked the council to approve a budget to secure a used 2014 Spartan Gladiator pumper priced at $425,000.
Cooper described operational problems with the current apparatus — limited hose storage, no onboard charging for radios and tools, lack of modern safety features such as shoulder belts and airbags, and difficulty obtaining discontinued parts — and argued a newer pumper would let a single unit carry the equipment needed to respond to EMS calls, fires and vehicle extrications without time-consuming equipment transfers. “When you custom order a fire truck, you’re looking at close to a million, little over a million for custom built fire trucks,” Cooper said. He added, “$425,000 is the price of the truck.”
The chief said the department responds to about 1,200 calls per year and that national practice favors single-unit response capability so crews are able to handle consecutive incidents without delay. He also noted National Fire Protection Association guidance recommending apparatus replacement on roughly a 10-year cycle.
Council members asked about trade-in or sale options for the current engine, financing versus cash purchase, and the timeline for delivery; staff said the seller required a deposit (the seller’s agent indicated half the asking price as a deposit) and that refurbishment after purchase would take weeks rather than the 2–4 years required to custom-build a new truck. City staff and the mayor discussed paying off an existing ladder-truck loan early and using reserves and CIP funds if the council approved the purchase.
A council member moved to approve proceeding with the purchase agreement and allocation; the motion was seconded and the council voted by roll call to proceed. The council directed staff to prepare a formal resolution and appropriation for the next meeting to finalize the purchase. The council also asked the chief to confirm timing and financing details with the seller before the formal resolution was presented.
