Fire chief urges council to begin fire engine procurement amid long manufacturer lead times

Fire Chief Johnson told the Lincoln City Council's April 15 committee meeting that the department should begin the procurement process for a fire engine because manufacturers' lead times are now two to four years and prices are rising.

Johnson said the department's older engines are 24 and 14 years old and that the time to plan is now, not because a new engine is immediately needed but because delay could add significant cost and procurement risk. He said a custom-spec engine could cost between $1,050,000 and $1,200,000; he included a conservative $1.2 million figure for budgeting. The council discussed alternatives including custom new builds, spec trucks with fewer custom features (about $250,000 less), and used engines.

"Do we need a new fire engine tomorrow? No. But the time to start looking at them is now," Johnson said. He added that the department spent about $60,000 in the last fiscal year on fleet maintenance and that deferred replacement can increase maintenance costs and downtime.

Council members asked about fit in existing facilities and maintenance availability: the most recently purchased truck is stored in an off-site Hamilton Street garage because it does not fit the current station. Johnson said an engine (as opposed to a ladder truck) sized to the current building would fit and that major truck repairs are often performed in Bloomington, Normal or other regional shops; scheduling repairs can require coordination but has been possible.

Treasurer Conzo noted dramatic price escalation compared with earlier purchases: a truck bought roughly seven years ago cost about $370,000 (per council discussion) while more recent apparatus purchases have reached the seven-figure range. Council members asked how procurement pricing and order timing affect locking in a purchase price. Johnson said manufacturers warned that pricing and contract terms may change but typically the specification-and-bid process locks price once bids are accepted.

The council placed the item on the regular agenda for further consideration; no procurement contract was approved at the committee meeting.

Ending: Council members asked staff to return with options, estimated financing and timing. The discussion underscores a longer-term capital planning decision that the council will consider as part of the upcoming budget process.