Midwest City approves $878,944.85 refurbishment of Ladder 6 to stretch fleet spending amid rising new-equipment costs

Midwest City Council on Oct. 28 authorized a cooperative purchase through Sourcewell with Banner Fire for a full refurbishment of Fire Department Ladder 6 at a cost not to exceed $878,944.85.

Fire Department leaders told council that new aerial apparatus costs and delivery times have risen substantially since Ladder 6 was built in 2012. The chief explained that a new comparable aerial truck ordered today would cost about $1.7 million and take roughly three years for delivery; the 2012 purchase price for Ladder 6 was about $850,000. The refurbishment contract is a factory-level overhaul: staff said the plan includes disassembling the aerial ladder device for inspection and repair, tearing the chassis engine down to the block, refurbishing the pump and transmission with OEM parts, repainting, and returning the unit to frontline service.

The refurbishment price includes a $25,000 contingency. Council asked whether the Sourcewell cooperative agreement remains valid for the contract term; staff said as long as the city executes the purchase under Sourcewell before the cooperative's listed expiration in February, the vendor contract will cover the work even though the refurbishment timeline is 12'14 months. Council also discussed how the city's previous bond capacity and reserve planning interact with the fleet-replacement program; staff said rising apparatus prices have altered the replacement strategy toward a replace-refurbish-replace cycle and that bonds and council budget planning would be used to provide funding over time.

The council approved the contract by voice vote. Staff listed the Fleet Services manager and the Fire Chief as implementation leads and set a follow-up to monitor timelines and Sourcewell cooperative status.