Kennedale fire chief asks council to fund $2.1 million quint, three paramedic positions

Kennedale’s Fire Chief told the City Council at a June 2 special budget workshop that the department is asking the council to fund a 107‑foot quint aerial apparatus and three additional firefighter‑paramedics for fiscal 2026. The apparatus was presented with a rough price of $2,100,000 and the three paramedics were listed at $319,000 for personnel and benefits.

The chief said the quint is a full aerial fire apparatus — “a quint, which is 5 functions,” and described it as a side‑ladder truck with pump, hose and ground‑ladder capability. He told council members the vehicle is custom‑designed and would take two to three years to build and deliver after an order is placed. “Once we commit, we would get a letter of intent to buy, and so we would start the order process,” he said.

The chief said the department will seek federal grant funding through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program and described prepayment options offered by vendors: councils can prepay 25 percent or more to reduce the locked‑in price. “We will need a resolution on it,” the chief said about the grant application process and added that a local match (about 20 percent) would likely be required.

City staff said the price would almost certainly require debt financing unless the council commits large cash payments up front. City Manager John Horton briefed the council on two preliminary debt scenarios from the city’s financial adviser: issuing roughly $8–9 million at once in FY26, or a two‑step plan that would issue about $5 million one year and $6 million the next. Horton said Samco Capital would need certified property values to give final numbers.

Council members pressed on timing and payment options. The chief said some price reductions are possible with larger prepayments but emphasized that the vendor build and delivery timeline is the constraining factor: “It does take time to get it off that line.” He also said the department will apply for competitive grants but cannot rely on awards.

Other items in the Fire Department request included replacement AEDs, Opticon (traffic preemption) devices for two ambulances (quoted at $10,800 for two units), upgraded hose and nozzles, and investments in community programs such as a Citizens Fire Academy and smoke‑detector distribution.

No formal purchase or financing decision was made during the workshop; the presentation was part of council budget planning and staff said they would return with more detailed financing options and grant applications for council consideration.