The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly Finance Committee voted unanimously to award a $2,477,950 contract through the Sourcewell cooperative for two replacement fire engines intended for the University Fire Service Area.

Forest Keiper, who identified himself as chief of the University Fire Department, testified in support of the purchase, saying, “These engines are not just replacements, they're critical upgrades to our fleet to ensure we can continue to provide dependable, modern fire protection to the University Fire Service Area and our mutual aid partners throughout the borough.”

The engines will replace apparatus from about 2007 and 2009, which staff described as increasingly costly to maintain. Luke Butcher of the Emergency Operations Department said the vehicles will be procured using a pre‑competed Sourcewell contract awarded to Rosenbauer South Dakota LLC and paid from University Fire Service Area funds. Butcher told the committee the procurement will follow Title 16 cooperative purchasing rules.

Committee members asked about the fate of the outgoing vehicles and the procurement timeline. Keiper explained that the 2009 engine will be placed in reserve status, the 2007 engine will be declared past its useful life and then turned over to borough surplus for auction. He also noted industry lead times: “...with this, potential approval it'll still be 3 years before we see these fire engines at Fairbanks,” and said the department ordered two at once to account for the lengthy delivery schedule.

Committee members also confirmed this purchase is funded from the University Fire Service Area fund, not the borough general fund. The motion to award the contract was made and seconded on the record; the committee’s roll call showed an 8‑0 vote to approve the award.

The purchase authorized by the committee is the capital procurement stage; delivery and final acceptance will occur after the manufacturer completes the build and the borough receives the apparatus.