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Fire chief reports new brush truck in service, platform truck ordered with long lead time
Summary
Chief Owens updated the council that a newly purchased brush truck is in service and that the remaining funds were applied toward a platform truck purchase, with estimated delivery in about 42 months.
Chief Owens updated the council on the department’s vehicle purchases and maintenance outlook, saying the city placed a new brush truck (referred to as a squad truck) into service and parked it outside for council members and the public to view.
“It’ll definitely do the job that we need to do,” Chief Owens said of the brush truck and explained the city reallocated funds originally set aside for a larger truck to purchase the smaller brush truck and apply the remaining funds toward a platform truck.
Owens said the brush truck’s purchase involved about $213,000 and that the platform truck originally quoted at about $3,000,000 was reduced to roughly $2,500,000 after credits and payments put toward it. He said the department expects delivery of the platform truck in roughly 42 months from the point the specifications were submitted.
Council members asked about national equipment availability given wildfires in other states; Owens said the department did not expect equipment shortages to be the main constraint and emphasized that water and other operational needs drive wildfire response more than vehicle availability. He also said the city currently operates vehicles from 1998 and 1999 that remain in service and that fire trucks can remain in service for 25 to 30 years. Larger repairs sometimes require certified fire-truck specialists, while routine mechanical work is performed in-house or by certified mechanics.
The remarks in the transcript were presented as an informational update; no procurement vote or contract award appears in the recorded discussion.
