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Chase County commissioners approve up to $60,000 for new fire truck chassis
Summary
Commissioners authorized up to $60,000 from the county equipment reserve fund to purchase a chassis for a planned wildland apparatus, as local fire officials outlined a multi-year plan to replace aging units.
Chase County commissioners voted June 30 to authorize up to $60,000 from the county equipment reserve fund (account O884) to purchase the chassis for a new fire apparatus.
Fire department representatives told commissioners the department is facing aging apparatus across several stations and presented a multi-year replacement plan. A department representative said the oldest “one ton” apparatus dates to 1984 and noted lead times for new trucks. “If we order a fire truck right now today, we're looking at 10 months lead time,” the representative said during the meeting.
The department requested county help to buy the chassis for an initial wildland apparatus. The representative described an approach where the county would fund the chassis and the department would complete remaining procurement tasks; a chassis price given in the meeting matched vendor quotes around $57,545. The department’s broader plan outlined replacing four apparatus over seven years, including two one-ton trucks, a pumper-tender and replacement trucks for several volunteer stations. A quoted pumper-tender price used in the discussion was about $500,000; the department said it expects to find more modestly priced units in the $250,000–$300,000 range for some needs.
Commissioners moved and seconded the chassis purchase motion and voted in favor. The motion as recorded authorized payment up to $60,000 from the county equipment reserve fund (O884) for the new chassis. No roll-call vote with named commissioners was provided in the transcript; the floor vote was recorded as “aye” and the chair said the motion carried.
County staff noted the chassis would likely be delivered this year and body construction would occur the following year. Commissioners asked that the chassis be treated as a separate line-item outside the budget hearing minutes so the purchase is clearly recorded.
The county and the fire department said they will form a specification committee to finalize features of the apparatus once funding is approved. The department signaled an intention to sell replaced units as soon as replacements arrive and to prioritize crew safety by moving away from older custom-built units.
