Commission approves CIP recommendations to replace one engine and four response vehicles; committee flagged urgent engine at Elliston

At the March meeting the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Commission voted to follow the Capital Facilities/Planning (CFP) committee's presentation recommending vehicle replacements in the fiscal year 2026 capital improvement plan.

The CFP overview listed one engine replacement (described as the engine for Lisonbee Fire Department, Engine 23 in the presentation) and four response-vehicle replacements (two for Christiansburg, one for a fire department response vehicle and one for EMS). The committee also recommended reserving remaining funds as a contingency for catastrophic repairs.

Committee members emphasized that one engine the county attorney had advised taking out of service was an urgent replacement priority. A committee member said the recommendation "felt like we needed to replace this unit instead of another unit that Lisonbee was due for first." The committee voted to move forward and the commission chair called for a motion. A motion to follow the CFP presentation was made and seconded; the chair announced, "Motion is carried to follow the presentation."

Speakers discussed asset ownership and operations at mixed volunteer/career stations, with an emphasis that apparatus are county-owned and shared between career and volunteer personnel.

The commission did not provide dollar totals or bid results at the meeting; staff said final costs will depend on bids and that the county will return with updated funding and specification details. The commission carried the motion to adopt the committee recommendations; no named roll-call vote was recorded in the minutes excerpt presented at the meeting.