Rowlett Fire Chief seeks council OK to sell tiller truck and apply proceeds to two pumpers; Metro Fire to broker transaction

Fire Chief Tim Gauthier told City Council Monday that the department wants to sell a custom 105-foot tractor-drawn aerial (a tiller purchased under the council resolution of Oct. 11, 2022) and use the proceeds toward two Spartan S180 pumpers that better match current operational needs.

Gauthier said the tiller, ordered to serve predicted maneuverability needs in the Sapphire Bay area, was nearing delivery but staff determined the vehicle would not align with current response patterns and could complicate deployment plans. He said Metro Fire Apparatus Specialist LLC (Metro Fire) agreed to evaluate and broker a sale and to house and insure the vehicle while attempting to resell it. Gauthier told council Metro had identified two S180 pumpers available in an upcoming Metro delivery that could be earmarked for Rowlett if council authorized the transaction.

Costs and credits discussed Gauthier presented the budget math: the original tiller price plus equipment was listed at $2,186,000. After deductions and items that the city would retain, staff cited a credit applied toward two pumpers of $1,880,805. The two Spartan S180 pumpers list at about $1,960,000. Metro agreed to absorb the $80,000 gap so the credit would cover the baseline cost of the two pumpers; Rowlett’s only estimated out-of-pocket cost would be about $120,000 for make-ready work (roughly $60,000 per pumper) to install radios, cabinets and other fittings.

Operational benefits and constraints Gauthier said pumpers are cheaper to maintain and better align with staffing and response needs; he cited baseline annual maintenance estimates of about $17,000 for the tiller versus roughly $10,000 for an aerial and $8,000 for a pumper. Metro agreed not to charge brokerage fees and to insure the tiller while marketing it. Metro asked for up to six months to find a buyer; Rowlett staff confirmed the two Spartan S180s could be earmarked for the city’s order and be made ready for service after make-ready work.

Council consensus Council members questioned whether service at Sapphire Bay would be affected by removing the tiller; Gauthier said an engine-based response model and other aerial assets would cover expected needs. After questions about timelines and equipment transfer, council signaled unanimous informal agreement to allow Metro to proceed with marketing the tiller and to apply sale credit toward the two pumpers; chief Gauthier said staff would proceed with the transaction logistics.

Ending No formal ordinance or purchase vote was taken at the meeting; council’s agreement was recorded as consensus to permit staff to proceed with Metro Fire’s sale/credit arrangement and reallocation of funds for the two pumpers. Staff will return with any formal contract or purchase documents if required.