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Fire department flags multi‑year truck lead times and rising replacement costs
Summary
The fire department presented staffing and fleet updates, reporting about 141 full‑time employees, rising annual calls (about 9,000), several aging rigs from 2003, and long lead times and higher prices for new engines and tower trucks (examples cited rising from $1.7M to $2.8M).
Speaker 8 presented the fire department's budget considerations and equipment needs, stating full‑time employees number '141 in this budget' (up one) and personnel costs are the department's largest expense. Speaker 8 said the department is tracking about 9,000 runs a year and now operates six companies (down from eight), meaning more work per unit.
On capital needs, Speaker 8 outlined an aging fleet with examples: Engine 12 (a 2003 KME) remains in reserve and a new Engine 12 is expected next September, and a tower truck ordered in 2022 that was estimated at $1.7 million has risen to about $2.8 million. Speaker 8 said lead times on new apparatus can be multi‑year (examples given: 2½ to 4½ years) and that rising electronics and emissions requirements complicate maintenance, prompting a suggestion to add staff with electronics expertise in the maintenance division.
Council members asked about extended warranties and whether mutual‑aid assists were reimbursed. Speaker 10 asked whether extended warranties could cover electronics; Speaker 8 said extended warranties on large trucks are "extremely expensive" and the department generally reciprocates mutual aid rather than receiving reimbursement.
No vote was taken on fleet replacement during the session; presenters focused on explaining procurement timelines and cost pressures ahead of future budget decisions.
