Kingston opens bids for new tanker; two proposals vary on price, delivery

The Kingston Board of Selectmen opened sealed bids March 17 for a replacement tanker for the town’s fire department, receiving two competitive proposals that differ on price, discount terms and estimated delivery time.

The bids were submitted by Lakes Region Fire Apparatus/ Alexis Fire Equipment and Allegiance Fire and Rescue. Lakes Region’s proposal listed a base price of $738,242 with an estimated delivery in 550 calendar days. Allegiance presented a higher-priced offer of $882,945, with a prompt-prepayment discount of $59,639 that would reduce the price to $823,306; Allegiance’s delivery estimate ran as long as 836 to 880 working days.

Sanborn Head consultant and fire department staff briefed the board on the submission process and the town’s financing. Chief Pellerin said the department has been operating a 2001 tanker that is past the typical 20-year replacement cycle, and noted industry backlogs can add several years between order and delivery. The board was told earlier that the town voted to add $50,000 to the capital improvement apparatus fund and planned a withdrawal of approximately $740,000 for the vehicle purchase.

Chief Pellerin and department representatives reviewed both proposals at the meeting but did not recommend a specific vendor. The chief told the board he would review technical specifications with the tanker committee and bring a recommendation back to the selectmen at a later meeting; the board asked that the department aim to present a recommendation within the next two meetings.

Board members discussed financing options including typical prepayment discounts and trade-in value for the current tanker; staff said they would explore trade-in and resale opportunities that could offset purchase costs.

The selectmen did not award a contract at the meeting. The fire department plans to review both bids against the request-for-proposal specifications and return with a formal recommendation for the board to consider at a future public meeting.

For background: the town’s current tanker is a 2001 model and replacement schedules in the industry typically target 20 years; supply-chain delays can extend delivery timelines to several years.