Arkansas City approves purchase of loose equipment and lease-purchase financing for new fire engine

At a special meeting, the Arkansas City Commission voted to authorize the purchase of loose equipment needed to outfit a new 2025 Ferrara fire engine and to enter a lease-purchase agreement to finance the engine and associated equipment.

The items approved were (1) a resolution authorizing the city to buy loose equipment — including SCBA units and radios — for the new engine in an amount not to exceed $154,001.20 (inclusive of shipping), and (2) a resolution to enter a lease-purchase agreement with Union State Bank to finance the engine and loose equipment for a total finance amount of $1,034,520.83 at a quoted interest rate of 4.25% with semiannual payments.

The commission approved both resolutions after discussion about the prolonged delivery schedule for the new apparatus and the condition of the city’s existing fleet. The fire chief described a multi-year delay in building the truck and said the department had budgeted for loose equipment when the apparatus was originally ordered in 2023 but deferred purchases until the vehicle was closer to completion. “Seventeenth is what they’re looking at delivering,” the fire chief said when asked about the delivery date.

The chief told the commission much of the equipment on the department’s older trucks is “relatively extremely old,” describing worn hose, damaged bottles, and problems with intake valves on aging engines. He said refurbishing older vehicles provides only limited redundancy and that at least one engine is approaching the end of its useful life in 2029. The chief also noted the city does not have a certified mechanic for fire apparatus and cited safety and certification risks when non‑ASE technicians work on fire trucks.

The finance director said staff opened the purchase and financing request to multiple bidders and recommended Union State Bank’s bid because “USB had the best terms at 4.25%.” The finance director said the city received two bank bids and recommended the bank’s semiannual payment schedule.

A commissioner moved to approve the loose-equipment purchase; a second was recorded, the commission voted in favor, and the motion carried. The commission then moved, seconded and approved the lease-purchase resolution; the motion carried with no recorded opposition.The meeting record shows the equipment purchase motion and the lease-purchase motion were both approved during the special meeting.

Some members of the public asked whether the city had considered refurbishing existing trucks rather than buying new equipment. Council members and staff responded that the purchase and financing had been budgeted for roughly two and a half years and that multiple older engines had failed or required extensive refurbishment, leaving the department with limited usable reserve apparatus.

Public comment followed the votes and included concerns about water supply and hydrant capacity in parts of the city; those topics were raised separately during the public comment period.