Oak Harbor fire chief recommends retiring 33-year-old ladder truck; new Quint due in October

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Anderson said the swivel assembly that routes water into the truck's electrical system is obsolete and cannot be sourced from the manufacturer or the original supplier.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 the context of the department's broader fleet. He said Oak Harbor operates four engines and one ladder truck: two front-line engines are 17 years old and two reserve engines are 28 years old. Anderson cited National Fire Protection Association guidance — NFPA 1901 — that generally places front-line engine service life at about 15 years, followed by secondary service that can extend the life to roughly 25 years. “The reality is the unit is just 33 years old,” he said. “How much money do we want to continue to dump on a vehicle that's 33 years old?”

Anderson described the department's replacement plan: a Quint (a combined engine and ladder apparatus) and a new engine are already ordered. The Quint will be placed at Station 81 and — because it includes a pump — will be able to operate independently; Anderson called that an operational advantage over a traditional ladder truck that lacks a pump. He said the Quint's delivery is now scheduled for Oct. 1 and an additional engine is expected in February 2026. The chief recommended moving to a staggered purchase cadence — ordering new apparatus every eight years rather than buying two at once — to avoid having reserve units reach 30 years of age.

Council members pressed on cost and disposition. Council member Romero asked whether the inoperative ladder could be auctioned or retained for nonemergency uses such as community displays; Anderson said auction returns would likely be modest (he estimated $10,000–$15,000) and cautioned against using a ladder for flag displays because wind loads can damage an elevated ladder. Council member Marshall asked about the condition of other engines and the plan to fund future replacements; Anderson and Deputy City Administrator and Finance Director David Goldman said replacement funds were built into the voter-approved levy the council previously authorized.

Anderson also described operational mitigations while Ladder 81 is out: the department revised response cards and relies on mutual aid, including Navy and neighboring departments, to provide aerial capability when needed. He said there has been no operational risk to the community, citing a recent apartment fire where mutual-aid assets, including a Navy ladder, arrived and provided elevated streams within minutes.

Ending: The council received the update as informational; there were no votes required at the workshop. Chief Anderson and city management said they will continue to rely on the scheduled equipment deliveries, mutual aid, and the existing capital-replacement plan funded by the levy.