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Rye Brook authorizes emergency repairs to Fire Engine 14; replacement options under review
Summary
Trustees approved an emergency repair contract after the village determined Engine 14's being out of service posed a threat to public safety; staff said the truck has been at a specialist shop since mid-November and the board's fire-truck committee is evaluating replacement options.
The Rye Brook Board of Trustees on Jan. 14 authorized an emergency purchase to repair Fire Engine 14 after village staff said the vehicle failed required testing and has been unavailable since mid-November.
Staff told the board Hendrickson Truck Center of Islandia, New York, was the only vendor that could complete all required repairs in a timely way. Under the village procurement policy, three written quotes are normally required for purchases over a threshold; staff said the vehicle’s condition and the specialty nature of fire-truck repairs left no viable alternatives, and the village invoked its emergency-procurement authority under general municipal law to approve the work.
"If not repaired on a timely basis, the fire engine 14 being out of service constitutes an imminent threat to the health, safety, and welfare of the residents," the resolution states. Staff estimated current repair costs in the neighborhood of $30,000, subject to further findings when the vendor opens the vehicle.
Chris, the village administrator, told the board the truck had been at the vendor since mid-November and that Hendrickson was the only responder able to perform and certify the work: "Fire trucks are specialty. It's hard to find locations that can do the work to certify to put a fire truck back in service. Long story short, since we couldn't get three written quotes, we have before you to authorize an emergency purchase."
Trustees also heard an update on the village’s longer-term planning for a replacement vehicle. The fire-truck committee—made up of staff, firefighters and a truck consultant—has narrowed options to two: a demo E‑1 vehicle still in production or a rebuild of the current Engine 14 (a substantial rebuild that retains portions of the existing body). Officials said they expect to present a recommendation at a future meeting and cautioned that ordering and delivery would take more than a year.
The board approved the emergency repair authorization by roll call.
