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Emergency Management gets commission approval for new Tahoe and two light towers; officials to seek storage and fee schedule for event use
Summary
Commissioners approved purchase and upfitting of a 2025 Chevy Tahoe for emergency management and authorized buying two diesel light towers; officials will seek indoor storage agreements and consider nominal event fees to offset maintenance costs.
Penobscot County commissioners on April 15 approved two procurement items for the Emergency Management Agency: purchase and upfitting of a 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe for mission use and acquisition of two towable diesel LED light towers for field operations.
Emergency Management staff reported the fully equipped Tahoe (vehicle, upfitting, lighting, cell booster and graphics) will cost $70,019. The county has $67,318 available in the vehicle capital account, leaving a shortfall of roughly $2,700. Staff asked the commission to transfer $5,000 from a previously authorized light-tower allocation (the county had approved $36,000 for one tower but negotiated two towers for approximately $30,900) to cover the gap and retain a small balance to seed future replacement. Commissioners approved the vehicle purchase, use of the $5,000 allocation, and plans to auction the outgoing 2016 Ford Explorer when the Tahoe is operational.
Separately, staff moved to acquire two towable telescoping diesel LED light towers at a combined price of roughly $30,900. The commission approved the purchase and instructed Emergency Management to secure indoor storage with partner fire departments where possible and to maintain preventive maintenance schedules with host agencies. Staff also raised the possibility of charging a nominal fee for nonemergency event deployments to create a replacement/reserve fund for the equipment; commissioners asked staff to return with a recommended fee schedule and policy.
Ending: The commission approved both procurements by unanimous vote and asked Emergency Management to provide follow-up on timelines for vehicle delivery, transfer of surplus equipment, storage arrangements and a proposed fee structure for event use.
