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Council asks staff to study electrifying and downsizing fire apparatus; union and fire chiefs warn of limits
Summary
After debate and expert testimony, the council voted 10-1 to direct staff to analyze the feasibility, costs and infrastructure needs for battery-electric and more compact fire apparatus and to report back to committee. Fire department leaders and union spokespeople cautioned that current electric fire-rig technology and charging infrastructure do
The San Jose City Council directed staff to analyze the feasibility of procuring electric and more compact fire apparatus and to report back with cost estimates, infrastructure needs and operational implications.
Councilmember David Cohen and others pressed the administration to evaluate zero-emission and smaller apparatus designs at a time when the city and state are considering fleet electrification. "We ought to always be evaluating the latest technology," Cohen said, noting examples of electric fire apparatus in other jurisdictions.
Fire department and union cautions: Deputy Fire Chief Patrick Chung and other fire staff described substantial technical and cost differences between legacy diesel apparatus and the emerging electric models. Chung cited example price differentials and charging-infrastructure costs: "City of Redmond is claiming they spent $350,000 for charging infrastructure for 1 station and an electric apparatus can be roughly $2.1 million vs. $1.2 million for a legacy diesel engine," he said. Deputy Chief James Dobson and other fire officers said major operational issues remain, including range, generator dependency on long incidents, mutual-aid interoperability and the long (20-25 year) lifecycle of apparatus that makes fleet turnover a multi-decade process.
Administration response and next steps: Public Works Director Matt Lesh and Deputy Chief Chung described which stations have been built or sited to be EV ready (e.g., Station 8 and others constructed to accommodate future charging) and noted that retrofitting existing stations has not been costed. The mayor and directors agreed to an analysis of costs and infrastructure to be presented to the Transportation and Environment Committee for discussion.
Council action: After debate, the council voted 10-1 to ask staff to return with a thorough feasibility study, including infrastructure retrofit costs and operational risk evaluations; Councilmember Dwan cast the lone no vote. The motion did not block procurement of needed lifesaving equipment in the short term but required the additional study to inform future procurement cycles.
