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Victoria council approves multi-million-dollar purchases and leases to renew police and fire fleets
Summary
The Victoria City Council approved purchases and a lease to replace police SUVs, fire pumpers and ambulances, citing supply-chain delays and high mileage on existing apparatus. The purchases will be funded in the FY2026 budget or via a 10-year lease.
Victoria City Council voted on May 20 to approve a package of public-safety vehicle acquisitions and a lease intended to shorten lead times and refresh aging first-responder equipment.
The council approved a $636,687 purchase of nine Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles; a 10-year lease-purchase with PNC Bank for three Pierce Sabre pumpers at $380,943 per year (total $3,809,430) through Simmons Martin Emergency Group LLC; and the purchase of four Braun Ford F-450 Type 1 ambulances for $1,854,628 from Spartan Emergency Group LLC. All three items passed on voice votes during the same meeting after a joint presentation by city staff.
City staff said supply-chain delays and rising prices have lengthened lead times and pushed the city to pre-order vehicles so new units arrive in Q1 of fiscal year 2026. Roger Welder, who presented the fleet plan, told council the police fleet’s practical life cycle is about four years and many frontline units exceed 100,000 miles by then; the city has worked to accelerate replacements and to lock in current pricing.
Wesley Gilbert and other staff said the nine police SUVs would be funded in the FY2026 budget but ordered now to ensure delivery early in the fiscal year. The presentation said the city anticipates replacing roughly five patrol-ready police vehicles per year thereafter to maintain a four-year replacement cycle.
On fire apparatus, staff said the city operates six pumpers and eight ambulances; one pumper and one ambulance have already been ordered and will arrive soon. The recommendation called for ordering three additional pumpers (to be leased through PNC Bank) and four ambulances (purchase) so that more than half of each fleet will be new when delivered. Staff noted state regulations limit frontline fire apparatus to 15 years in service and an additional five years only in reserve status; the city's average apparatus age was reported at just over 10 years with the oldest a 2009 model.
Council members asked about equipment-packaging and maintenance. Staff said the per-vehicle Explorer price includes lights, cages and other outfitting except the radio; radio installation and replacements are handled through an IT-managed fund. Maintenance is provided by an in-house contractor that manages critical fleet work, staff said. For ambulances, staff and the city manager’s office explained that increasing EMS call volume and County-wide response areas have shortened practical service life; presenters estimated useful life between about five to seven years, with one staff member noting mileage and demand are progressively reducing that span.
The council approved each item by voice vote: the police vehicle purchase, the lease for pumpers, and the ambulance purchase. Staff said vehicles will be funded in the FY2026 budget and that ordering now will lock current pricing given vendor warnings of future increases.
Votes at the meeting were taken by voice and recorded as passing; no roll-call tallies were recorded on the transcript.
