Allen County council approves $2.5 million for Northwest Fire District ladder truck

The Allen County Council approved a $2,500,000 appropriation on Wednesday to purchase a ladder truck for the Northwest Allen County Fire District.

The appropriation to the Special Fire General Fund was proposed to buy a new ladder truck from Pierce Manufacturing that the district can receive by October, replacing a 34-year-old unit. “This truck will be strategically placed on the Tonkel Road location,” said Robert Boren, Fire Chief of the Northwest Allen County Fire District. “This is gonna be replacing a truck that is currently 34 years old, which is way behind in the safety standards for firefighting and safe traveling.”

County council members and fire officials discussed lead times for new apparatus, the county's ladder-truck coverage and staffing. Boren told the council that fire apparatus lead times can be 40 to 48 months for new builds, and that Pierce offered a stock truck available sooner. He said Allen County currently has five ladder trucks covering about 547 square miles and that combined, city and county ladder trucks total about 10 units covering about 658 square miles.

Counsel and chiefs also discussed standards and safety. Boren referenced National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) guidance about apparatus life cycles, saying “a truck is no longer in full frontline status after 10 years. After 15 years, it no longer should be even in reserve status.” Several council members and chiefs said staffing affects how often ladder trucks can be placed into service; Boren said ladder-truck usage on appropriate incidents is sometimes as low as about 25 percent because of staffing constraints.

Council members asked about mutual-aid arrangements and automatic aid with the City of Fort Wayne; Boren said mutual aid is used countywide but automatic aid is limited and exists at specific sites such as Parkview Regional Complex. He also explained the operational benefits of placing the new truck at the Tonkel Road station, citing nearby hospitals, hotels, nursing homes and multi‑story apartments.

A motion to appropriate $2,500,000 carried 6-1. The motion and second were made from the floor; the council recorded the outcome as "passes 6 1." The council vote record in the meeting transcript gives the final tally but does not attribute a mover by name in the public minutes.

Chief Boren and other speakers warned that apparatus costs have risen substantially and are affected by industry consolidation. Boren noted several large manufacturers and said Congress is reviewing consolidation among major groups that produce fire apparatus. He also described operational plans tied to the county consolidation discussions and said the purchase fits the district's and consolidation planning.