Bethlehem proposes vehicle and equipment replacements for fire and police in 2026 capital plan

City fire and police officials described public-safety capital requests included in the draft 2026 non-utility capital plan. Fire department officials said the department aims to replace and equip one ambulance per year and to reallocate and replace engines to place aerial capability where it is most effective. The department also proposed buying a new command vehicle to restore space and equipment capacity for the on‑duty officer and noted that sets of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) cylinders and packs purchased at the same time will reach the end of their 15-year life cycle, requiring a large replacement expense by about 2030.

The fire chief said the department expects the total cost to replace air cylinders and packs by 2030 could be approximately $2,000,000, given cost increases since the original purchase. The chief explained the department bought those cylinders in a single purchase and that five-year testing cycles now show the fleet is approaching end-of-life simultaneously.

Police officials described plans to replace roughly five to seven patrol vehicles and to expand the city's public-safety camera network using funding from a Norco Grow grant (with matching funds). The police chief said the city currently operates about 100 cameras and the project would replace outdated units and add cameras at intersections that lack coverage. Police also described a multi-year replacement schedule for the department's armored/rescue vehicle, which is approximately 17 years old and typically requires a lengthy manufacturer build and delivery timeline.

Council members asked about the proposal to reassign an engine with an aerial device (engine 5) and whether that apparatus required costly repairs to serve as a ladder; the fire chief said the vehicle is fully capable as an aerial and is being used as an engine in day-to-day operations rather than in its ladder role. Council members also asked whether SCBA replacement could be phased; the chief said the original single purchase and grant timing resulted in co‑incident end-of-life timing but that phasing remains an option if funding allows.

These items were presented for informational review as part of the capital plan; no formal council action or vote was taken at the Committee of the Whole meeting.