Westerville City Council on Jan. 17 unanimously authorized the city manager to purchase a Pierce pumper (replacement for Engine 112) through the State of Ohio cooperative contract with Atlantic Emergency Solutions and to dispose of the existing end‑of‑life apparatus.

Fire Division Chief Sorgi told council the replacement is part of the 2025 budget and was advanced two years because current ordering timelines mean delivery would take about 1,140 days from order to delivery (just under four years). Engine 112, placed in service in 2016, responded to 2,885 incidents in 2024 — an average of roughly eight responses per day — and the new apparatus is intended to match Engine 113 (delivered in 2023) to standardize fleet equipment and reduce maintenance, training and interoperability costs. Chief Sorgi said the anticipated service life of the new pumper is about 12 years before it moves to a reserve role.

Council members asked whether features and price would be locked for the long lead time; staff said the purchase secures the features and contract price at time of order, barring any requested changes. Council also discussed the long delivery timeframe and the practical limits of technology changes during that period.

The motion authorized purchase through the State of Ohio cooperative contract and waived local formal source‑selection requirements; council voted unanimously to approve the purchase.