Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Oak Harbor fire chief recommends retiring 33-year-old ladder truck; new Quint due in October
Summary
Fire Chief Anderson told the city council the department's 33-year-old ladder truck has failed inspections and is costly to repair. The city will rely on a new Quint due in October and mutual-aid partners in the interim; engine replacement is phased under voter-approved levy funds.
Oak Harbor Fire Chief Michael Anderson told the City Council on April 22 that the department's ladder truck (Ladder 81) is out of service after failing its December 2024 inspection and that repairs are increasingly impractical for the vehicle, which is 33 years old.
Anderson said the swivel assembly that routes water into the truck's electrical system is obsolete and cannot be sourced from the manufacturer or the original supplier. He said a rebuild could start at about $10,000 and “could go up to exceed $25,000 easily,” and that structural and operational repairs would likely keep the unit out of service for months. “The vehicle wouldn't be ready till the spring,” Anderson said of earlier repair efforts; he later told council the new Quint delivery moved from July to October because of supply-chain delays.
The chief placed the ladder truck in…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
