City leaders used returned ARPA funds to ratify a series of emergency‑services purchases and consulting contracts, voting unanimously to authorize equipment and studies intended to boost response capacity and joint training.

Mayor and council heard multiple presentations from fire and police leadership. Matt Shoop, deputy chief of operations for Caldwell Fire, described the department’s request to replace a 2001 Ford F450 squad with a Ford F550 BME Type 6 “Extreme” squad suited for off‑road and brush responses and lower‑acuity calls; the council ratified ARPA funding of $395,230 for that purchase. Shoop said the smaller squad is used to respond to brush, grass and lower‑acuity medical calls so larger fire engines remain available for higher‑acuity incidents.

Deputy Chief Brian Daniels and Alan Perry (Deputy Chief of Fire Prevention) presented a proposed contract with Emergency Services Consulting, Inc. (ESCI) to provide a standards‑of‑cover update, fire station location analysis, community risk‑reduction analytics and a strategic plan; Perry said the program purchase and contract work would total about $404,950 and replace an existing statistical program the department uses.

Council also ratified ARPA funding for several other fire items presented as budgeted or as replacements: a Chevrolet Silverado pickup for logistics ($56,539), upfitting of a Ford Explorer for a division chief ($61,386.69), and the purchase and outfitting of a modular joint public safety training building (modular units) for $787,707.00 to create classrooms, a mat room and offices shared by police and fire.

Police Chief Rex Ingram and SWAT leaders described multiple equipment requests ratified by council: arrest‑control mats and wall pads for the mat room ($10,503.72); two police drones (Bridgelemur 2 model) totaling $40,499.10; and a Landco Bearcat armored rescue vehicle for $419,445. Team commander Lieutenant Ben Heinrich said the Bearcat is designed for civilian tactical deployments and rescue operations, and the department expects to retire or redeploy older military surplus vehicles.

Each purchase was presented as a ratification of ARPA‑eligible expenditures; councilors moved and seconded the individual resolutions and voted unanimously on each item. Councilors and staff discussed equipment naming and terminology (for example, using a non‑marketing operational name on‑response rather than “Extreme”), the source of funds (returned ITD grant/ARPA allocation) and that several line items had been budgeted in future fiscal years but could be accelerated by the available ARPA money.

Council members asked operational and budget questions — for example, Chief Daniels confirmed equipment for the new squad (portable tools, hoses) had been previously budgeted and purchased, and that the ARPA request covered the vehicle itself. Staff said some items are one‑time consulting or construction costs while others will replace existing assets and not increase fleet size once older units are surplused.

All resolutions ratifying ARPA use for the listed purchases passed by unanimous vote. The council also approved ongoing plans for a public safety training site that includes training grounds and the modular building; staff said impact fees will cover foundation and site work and that the facility could be made available to other agencies under a use agreement.