Liberal’s commission approved the purchase of a new set of battery‑powered extrication tools for the fire department after staff reported mechanical problems with an older hydraulic set.

Fire leadership told the commission the department historically maintains two full sets of hydraulic extrication tools because the town is bisected by railroad tracks and crews must ensure equipment is available on both sides. One set purchased in 2004 has developed mechanical problems on the high‑pressure side and would require a lengthy repair process involving shipment to a specialized maintenance center out of state.

Battalion Chief Aaron Looman researched modern battery‑powered systems and staff reported performance comparable to hydraulic tools in recent demonstrations. The department solicited quotes and received one responsive bid from Emergency Fire Equipment (Mayfield, Kansas), which quoted a set of Genesis Rescue battery‑powered tools. The chief said the purchase was budgeted in the current fiscal year with $60,000 set aside; the bid was approximately $11,000 under that budgeted amount.

The chief reported a quoted price of $48,009.48 in his presentation, and the commission approved a motion that recorded the purchase amount as $48,948, to be paid from the special fire equipment fund (02/2001). The motion was made by Commissioner Vasquez, seconded by Commissioner Warren, and passed 5‑0.

Staff said the battery platform uses readily available M18 Milwaukee batteries, for which manufacturers offer a five‑year warranty. The new set will include spreaders, cutters and a telescoping ram. The department said local sourcing for batteries and replacement parts is straightforward.