Fire department outlines equipment damage, grants and staffing needs after multi-day fires

The fire department reported on equipment damage, ongoing grant activity and resource needs following a multi-day firefighting response.

A department representative described multiple vehicle damages and said the department plans to file insurance claims for three or four trucks. The tanker’s fuel tank is leaking; a vendor offered to replace the tank for about $25,000, the representative said. The department reported receiving a $5,000 training grant and having applied for a forestry grant (usual annual forestry funding of about $12,000 and a separate forestry equipment grant the department reapplied for, about $100,000).

Officials discussed federal and state emergency declarations and reimbursements. Staff said the county is coordinating reports with the state, and that volunteer and paid personnel hours and equipment use are being tracked for possible reimbursement; the department expects some reimbursement to come through state and federal channels once a presidential emergency declaration is in place. One councilor noted that the city previously recouped nearly $30,000 after a past ice storm through federal assistance.

The department said six brush trucks make up the fleet and that one brush truck is temporarily out of service while crews repair starters and other parts; most units were returned to service after on-site repairs during the response. The council urged the public to contact elected officials about broader state funding and noted the importance of coordinating with the forestry department for aircraft and heavy equipment support.

No formal policy or budgetary appropriation was adopted at the meeting; the council requested that the department furnish logs and damage details so claims and potential state or federal reimbursements can be substantiated.