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Calimesa council authorizes emergency repair of frontline brush engine after fuel-system failure
Summary
The Calimesa City Council on June 2 authorized city management to proceed with an emergency repair of a frontline brush engine after the fire chief reported metal shavings in the fuel system and the unit entering limp mode; the repair is estimated at $13,867 and will exceed the municipal spending allocation limit.
On June 2, the Calimesa City Council authorized the city manager or his designee to proceed with emergency repairs to the fire department’s frontline brush patrol vehicle after Fire Chief O’Connell reported a sudden fuel-system failure.
Fire Chief O’Connell told the council the department’s 2019 Ford F-550 brush patrol “experienced a major mechanical malfunction causing the power train to enter into a limp mode and display a check engine light.” He said a local diesel repair technician “observed metal shavings being observed in the fuel filter” and described the defect as requiring flushing, draining and replacement of multiple fuel-delivery components. The chief said the vehicle “is out of warranty” and the original manufacturer's warranty “was determined to have expired last month.”
The city framed the repair request as time-sensitive because the brush engine serves as the department’s frontline unit for extended, remote responses and the region is entering wildland fire season. The repair estimate presented to council was $13,867. Council members voted to authorize the city manager to facilitate the repair and to exceed the spending allocation limit set by the municipal code; the motion carried unanimously.
Council staff will proceed with the repairs and return any required documentation to the council as specified by city procurement rules. The repair will keep a frontline asset available for brush and wildland responses while staff monitor warranty and replacement options.
The action was taken under an emergency item added to the June 2 agenda; council approved adding the item before voting on the authorization.
