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Commissioners table request to issue RFP for replacement brush truck at Lewisburg station
Summary
Miami County fire coordinator asked the commission to approve an RFP to replace a 2011 brush pickup at the Lewisburg station; commissioners asked for mechanical inspection and usage data and tabled the request.
Mark Whalen, Miami County rural fire coordinator, asked the commission for permission to issue an RFP to replace a 2011 Chevrolet pickup used as a brush unit at the Lewisburg fire station, saying the county’s fire districts maintain a 15‑year replacement schedule for brush rigs.
Whalen said the brush pickups take heavy field abuse and that parts for the current sliding unit are no longer available. "Parts are no longer available for the sliding unit, at all," Whalen said, and he described instances during wildfire season in which a pump failed and the unit required rapid replacement.
Several commissioners questioned the need to replace a vehicle with relatively low recorded mileage. One commissioner noted the truck’s mileage was likely under 10,000 but said field use causes frame and body wear not reflected in odometer miles. Commissioners asked whether repairs — for example, replacing a sliding unit (estimated in the discussion at about $25,000) — would be a feasible interim option and whether a used flatbed truck could be purchased instead of a new $125,000–$150,000 chassis and body.
Commissioners also requested objective evidence of structural or mechanical problems before approving an expensive replacement. "We need to understand that there’s a reason for the replacement — not just that the standards say it has to be moved every 10 or 15 years," one commissioner said. Commissioners asked staff to provide frame inspections and service‑use statistics for all brush vehicles in the fleet.
Outcome: After discussion, commissioners agreed to table the RFP request. Staff (Whalen) said he would obtain additional information, including a mechanic’s inspection (putting the vehicle on a rack), parts availability, repair cost estimates, and fleet‑use statistics, and return to the commission with that information before issuing an RFP.
Ending: The commission set no formal replacement schedule in the study session and recorded no award; staff will return to present inspection findings and cost comparisons for repair versus replacement.
